Tailwheels and Flying Wires is Moving!

We are excited to announce Tailwheels and Flying Wires has a new domain! With the change of hosts we have the ability to offer much more to our readers as well as our very own domain name. Please come check us out at www.tailwheelsandflyingwires.com. We will continue to transfer everything from here to our new site!

 Check out the new Tailwheels and Flying Wires!

Spring Is Here!

The days are growing longer, leaves are appearing and there is a freak blizzard in Colorado. Spring is here! Soon flying in open cockpits and leaning your elbow out an open Cub door will be in full swing.

Some of the best reasons to fly in the spring:

• The smell of fresh turned fields from 1,000 feet.

• Spring clouds, perfect for cloud surfing.

• The first wash after the plane's winter hibernation.

• Knocking off the dust with some springtime crosswind landings.

It is a great time to be Dragging Your Tail!

What are your favorite things about springtime flying? Post to the comments below!

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Because its Cool to Drag Your Tail!

Dragging Your Tail is just too much fun not to share! Here are some pictures of the Day family dragging their tails. 

Freezing in Kittyhawk, North Carolina.

We were offered a ride in an N3N while visiting Columbia, South Carolina. Though we loved it, our greyhound Jackie wasn't sure what to think.

Goofing around over the eastern plains of Colorado.

Where have you Dragged Your Tail lately? We want to know! Send us your pictures to show off. Email your pics to tailwheelsandflyingwires@gmail.com

Or post them on our Facebook Page.

The Dirty 30 and a Few Goals

Last week came the day I had been dreading for the better part of a year, my thirtieth birthday.  The night before my birthday I lay awake late into the night wondering what it would be like to no longer be in my twenties.  The thought of my youth slipping away was an uneasy feeling as I pictured my face becoming wrinkled and my knees going bad somewhere in the course of the night after I fell asleep. Somehow my mind drifted to flying and I began thinking of what I had accomplished during my twenties. 

Can You Guess This Plane?

During a quick vacation to South Korea, my wife and I came across this quirky little taildragger. I had never seen anything like it. Have any guesses to what this plane is?

ICAO Flight Plans in FAA Flight Plans Out!

This last week was the official changeover from using FAA flight plans to using ICAO flight plans. There are a few things that need to be addressed about the changeover and how it will affect General Aviation.

If filing VFR, a pilot has the option of using either the FAA flight plan or the ICAO flight plan. If an IFR flight plan is to be used, the ICAO flight plan will need to be utilized. Filing by phone has not changed and can still be accomplished by calling 1-800-WX-BRIEF.

The switch from FAA to ICAO flight plans continues the standardizing of U.S. operations with the rest of the world flying community (e.g., remember position and hold?).  The ICAO flight plan gives the pilot more options when it comes to informing air traffic control what types of navigation equipment is on board the aircraft. With advances in navigation technology, WAAS and ADS-B for example, the ability for ATC to have a better understanding of the aircraft’s navigation performance is a good thing.

I have been flying in Japan for a couple of years now and I will admit I was bit thrown off by the ICAO flight plan when I first had to start using them. It doesn’t take much to figure them out though and in no time a pilot will be able to use them efficiently and effectively.

How do you feel about the switch? 

A GA Hero

As a kid, I always loved the adventures of Indiana Jones. I loved his movies and would watch them again and again. Playing in the back yard, I would pretend to snap my whip around a tree branch and swing off of high bridges, seconds before they collapsed, to save the damsel in distress and simultaneously save a priceless artifact.