Dwight Vance has been training Husky Pilots for more than a decade. He’s been training tail wheel pilots for much longer. Prior to beginning his training with IFR Flight Training School™, Dwight trained and flew corporate and charter in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Texas. His years out west built up an extensive reservoir of experience in high altitude and dirt strip airports to pass along his students. He’s one of few instructors with a logbook entry showing a take-off and landing at Leadville, Colorado, the highest airport in the United States. He was also a DPE.

It’s easy to speak with Dwight. His answers to questions come short, clear and easy to understand. He pauses after answers peeking over his glasses to see how the student’s settling his words. If it’s obvious an answer needs more work, he patiently and persistently offers more words to fill in the spaces until it becomes obvious that the student’s curiosity has been satisfied.

Dwight’s decades of training and devoted service to students has gifted him to read them well. As students will attest, Dwight’s easy manner makes them more open and willing to share their deepest questions and concerns about flying without the threat of having to worry about how he will respond to their vulnerability. He takes his time with his students and is always willing and eager to train them to be the best Husky Pilot they can be.

In preparing for this article, I asked Dwight, in his experience, how long does the Husky Pilot training take? He said that he’s seen students take from 2 to 25 hours with 8 to 10 hours being common to become safe in a Husky. He says how long it takes depends largely on how well they have been using the flight controls in the other airplanes they’ve been flying before moving to a Husky.

Dwight says, Tailwheel airplanes want to see what’s behind them explaining that good use of the rudder, ailerons and elevator is essential. He says, “No matter what happens on the ground, keep the airplane going straight.” You will often hear him saying, “Use your feet — and keep the stick back (except with wheel landings until the tail does come down or when taxiing with a tailwind).

When questioned about wheel versus three point landings, Dwight will ask, “Which would you like to do? The Husky does both well.” He commented, “Different pilots prefer one over the other. I like to see pilots good at both.” If asked about preferring a wheel landing versus a three point in a crosswind, he will say, either pointing out that, “The tail’s got to come down sometime.”

Dwight is fun to fly with.

In the seventeen years we have worked together, I have not had a student complain about their training with Dwight. Dwight is a great instructor — and if you’d like to fly with him yourself in your Husky, let Jim Taylor know and he will put us in touch.

Happy Husky Flying!

Mark Wilson
IFR Flight Training School™
www.flyifr.com