FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Regulations (14 CFR 61/91)Medium
A pilot who has only ever flown airplanes with tricycle landing gear wants to act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane for the first time. According to 14 CFR 61.31(i), what must the pilot obtain before doing so?
- AA statement of aeronautical experience filed with the FAA Flight Standards District Office
- BA minimum of 10 hours of solo flight time logged in a tailwheel airplane before acting as PIC
- CA logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor after receiving flight training in a tailwheel airplane and being found proficient in normal and crosswind takeoffs/landings, wheel landings, and go-around procedures
- DAn additional class rating for tailwheel airplanes added to the pilot certificate
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor after receiving flight training in a tailwheel airplane and being found proficient in normal and crosswind takeoffs/landings, wheel landings, and go-around procedures
14 CFR 61.31(i) requires a logbook endorsement, not an additional rating, certifying that the pilot has received training and is proficient in normal/crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings, and go-arounds in a tailwheel airplane before acting as PIC of one.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. No FSDO filing is required; the endorsement is kept in the pilot's logbook.
- B. There is no minimum solo hour requirement specified in 61.31(i).
- D. Tailwheel qualification is handled by endorsement, not a separate class rating.
Tailwheel Endorsement (61.31(i))
Required before acting as PIC of a tailwheel airplane, obtained via logbook endorsement after training and proficiency demonstration.
- Requires training in normal/crosswind TO&L, wheel landings, and go-arounds
- Endorsement is logged, not a separate rating
- Grandfather clause exists for pilots who logged tailwheel PIC time before April 15, 1991
Memory trick: Tailwheel = train the tail before you fly it solo.