WAUSAU, WIS. – The first eight pilots to earn their tailwheel endorsement at Wausau Flying Service will receive up to a $500 credit toward their training expenses, thanks to the generosity of one local pilot. This is a matching fund credit. For each dollar spent on training, the applicant will receive a matching dollar amount up to a maximum of $500 at the completion of their training. Taildragger dollars can only be used toward aircraft rental and instruction, and pilots must complete their training and earn their tailwheel endorsement by Thanksgiving 2012.
John Chmiel, president of Wausau Flying Service, located at Wausau Downtown Airport, Wausau, Wis. (KAUW), stated that if the weather cooperates, the tailwheel endorsement can typically be earned in a couple of days.
“I prefer to get the training done in two consecutive days, rather than dragging it out an hour at a time,” says Chmiel. “We will fly three to four times each day, take a break in between each flight to debrief and brief for our next flight, and grab a refreshment. For the average pilot, you’re looking at 7-8 hours of flying and 55-85 takeoffs and landings.”
Chmiel says that he is an “old school” instructor who emphasizes the importance of looking outside the airplane, flying the wing, and using all senses to guide the airplane.
“This is a unique opportunity to pass on the knowledge and experience required to fly these aircraft,” says Chmiel. “Taildragger flying opens up a whole new, fun-filled aspect of aviation that many pilots only dream about. Bush planes, homebuilts, antiques, classics, warbirds, and aerobatic aircraft are typically tailwheel equipped, and this course helps to prepare pilots to fly these aircraft.”
The matching funds are made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor who recently donated a wooden propeller and hubs to Wausau Flying Service, Inc. (WFS) for the purpose of raising funds to help pilots obtain their tailwheel endorsement.
“I hope other pilots will consider making similar donations to help their local flight schools promote flight training,” says Chmiel. “We just have to think outside the box to recruit and retain pilots, and matching funds for flight training is just one more way to meet these objectives.”
For more information, contact John Chmiel at 715-845-3400, or check out the Wausau Flying Service website at www.flywausau.com/index_files/Tailwheel.htm.
Wausau Flying Service uses a 1974 Bellanca 7KCAB for its tailwheel flight training.
