Definition
Airplanes equipped with conventional landing gear, in which two main wheels are positioned forward of the center of gravity and a single small wheel supports the tail. Because the center of gravity sits behind the main wheels, these aircraft are inherently less stable on the ground during takeoff, landing, and taxi than nosewheel airplanes, and require specific handling skills and an FAA endorsement to act as pilot in command.
Plain English
Airplanes that sit on two main wheels up front and a small wheel under the tail, instead of having a nosewheel. They handle differently on the ground and need extra training before a pilot can fly them solo.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft checkout and transition training, especially when a pilot is moving from nosewheel airplanes to tail wheel airplanes or needs a logbook endorsement to act as pilot in command.
Derivation
Often called 'taildraggers' because the tail end is supported by a small wheel that effectively drags behind during ground operations, in contrast to tricycle-gear airplanes where the tail is held up and the nose is supported by a wheel.
Why Pilots Care
These aircraft demand different ground-handling techniques; the center of gravity behind the main wheels makes them prone to ground loops if directional control is lost during takeoff or landing.
Grounding Statement
Picture the airplane parked with its nose pointing slightly upward because the rear of the airplane is resting on a small wheel under the tail.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “tail wheel” just means any airplane with a wheel near the back. In this context, it means the airplane’s landing gear layout uses the tail wheel as the rear support, which changes how the airplane handles on the ground.
Example Sentence 1
Before flying the Super Cub solo, the student needed a tailwheel endorsement from her instructor.
Example Sentence 2
Before soloing the tail wheel airplane the pilot completed a full transition checkout covering wheel landings and three-point landings.