First Flight

Directions & Parking

Driving here

We’re located at Music City Executive Airport in Gallatin, TN, an easy 40 minute drive northeast of Nashville.

When you enter the airport take the only right to go past the orange and white tower with a rotating beacon, pass three large hangars on left, our hangar (D-7) will be nearest you on the third row of small hangars. Here is a map directly to our hangar or more precisely here is the What3Words location.

You can park in the grass across from our hangar or in the paved lot.

Flying here

The Music City Airport identifier is KXNX. Our hangars are located in the D row south of the main FBO. You can either park your plane on the large ramp in front of the D row or if you want to be closer taxi down the D row and when you come to the end take a slight south (left) turn into the large remote ramp and park in any open position.

Whether you’re starting training for a new license or beginning a tailwheel endorsement we’re grateful for the opportunity to work with you and excited to help you reach your goals!

BEFORE OUR FIRST FLIGHT

• Flight Instruction Agreement: Please review and bring a signed copy of the Flight Instruction Agreement.

• Insurance: As is custom at all flight schools, students are required to have a non-owned renters insurance policy. Whether you fly with us or someone else, do not fly without a non-owned renters policy! The most popular provider of this type of insurance is Skywatch and Avemco. The Flight Instruction Agreement requires liability coverages of $250,000/25,000 and at least $45k (hull value) for the Cessna 140A or $38k (hull value) for the Piper Cub of aircraft damage coverage. A typical policy for these limits will range between $15-20/day or $400-$600/yr depending on your experience level. Skywatch offers pricing per day/week/month and is a great option for tailwheel endorsement training.

• Citizenship verification: The FAA requires citizenship verification if you are starting training towards a new FAA certificate (ex. Private Pilot; Sport Pilot), instrument or multi-rating. Please bring with you a valid passport or other acceptable US issued ID (ref: FAR 1552.1(h)). If you are not a citizen please refer to the steps required by the TSA Flight Training Security Program before starting. If you are a US citizen, verification is not required for tailwheel endorsements; it may be required for aliens who hold either a US or foreign certificate.

• Read and watch the videos on our journal post: Flying Tailwheel

• Familiarize yourself with the materials available for each aircraft:

  • Cessna 140A

    • Cessna 140A Operations Manual

    • Review the Cessna 40A checklist and V-speeds

    • Look over our enhanced Cessna 140A preflight checklist

    • Review N9491A’s Weight and Balance Calculator

    • Emergency Flows for the Cessna 140A

  • Piper Cub J3-C

    • Piper Cub J3-C Owner’s Manual

    • What’s a Piper Cub

PAYMENT

Payment is due the day of your flight. We prefer payment via Zelle, but can accept check, cash or credit card (processing fee will be applied). Flight instruction and rental is $225/hr for the Cessna 140A, $175/hr for the Piper Cub and ground instruction is $75/hr.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

• As you progress in your training you will learn to set personal flying minimums and we’ll collaborate on our go / no-go decision making. Until then you can assume we’ll fly unless you have heard otherwise from your instructor.

• Please be on time and ready to learn for every lesson. Successful students show up prepared with today’s weather, NOTAMS, and other required flight info. We expect you to come to each lesson with at least the information required by NWKRAFT (and to help we’ve created a handy NWKRAFT checklist to use!).

• If you have AT&T, well, you’ll be out of luck in our hangar. Verizon works best.

• We keep a fridge stocked with water and some snacks on hand, you’re always welcome to these!

• The closest bathroom is in the KXNX terminal.

• Additional resources for students can be found on the Student Resources page

RESCHEDULING, LIFE HAPPENS

• If you need to cancel or reschedule please do so no later than 2 hours before the scheduled flight time. Cancellations of less than 2 hours or without notice and no-shows will be charged a $100 cancellation fee.

TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENTS: WHAT TO EXPECT

Tailwheel endorsements average 5-10hrs of flight time and 1-2hrs of ground instruction. It will be a challenge and more importantly it will be fun! We can partly fly off and land on actual grass. Rates inclusive of instruction are $225/hr (Cessna 140A) or $175/hr (Piper Cub) and $75 for ground instruction. Still have questions, we have many answers in our Frequently Asked Questions section. 

Syllabus

Here is a preview of the tailwheel syllabus: 

• Ground/Flight #1 - Intro to tailwheel and aircraft familiarization; taxiing; simulated ground loop; normal takeoff; steep turns; stalls; attitude flying; normal landing

• Ground/Flight #2 - Review of tailwheel fundamentals; crosswind taxiing; normal takeoff and landings

• Flight #3 - Go arounds; normal takeoff and landings

• Flights #4-10 - Wheel landings; crosswind takeoff and landings; go arounds

Students who acquire the techniques and knowledge the fastest are also the ones who have done their own home study. We highly recommend watching the videos we have posted and reading the books in this journal entry: Flying Tailwheel.