North Perry Airport (KHWO) • South Florida
Tailwheel & Spin Training in South Florida
Real stick-and-rudder training focused on aircraft control, confidence, judgment, and proficiency.
Citabria Tailwheel Training • Cessna 150 Aerobat Spin & Upset Training
More Than an Endorsement
Training designed to make you a more capable pilot—not simply add another endorsement to your logbook.
Build Better Aircraft Control
Develop coordination, directional control, energy management, and the stick-and-rudder skills that conventional-gear flying demands.
Train for the Unexpected
Improve recognition, judgment, and aircraft-control skills when the airplane or environment stops behaving exactly as expected.
Training Built Around You
Your training is based on your experience, goals, and demonstrated proficiency—not a predetermined number of hours.
Training Programs
Focused one-on-one training for pilots who want better aircraft control, greater confidence, and practical proficiency.
Tailwheel Endorsement
Develop confident conventional-gear technique with focused training in takeoffs, landings, wheel landings, crosswinds, go-arounds, and precise directional control.
- Citabria
- One-on-one instruction
- Proficiency-based training
- Free initial consultation
Spin & Recovery Training
Learn to recognize, prevent, enter, and recover from spins while developing a practical understanding of what the airplane is doing throughout the maneuver.
- Cessna 150 Aerobat
- Recognition and prevention
- Spin entry and recovery
- Confidence-building instruction
Upset & Unusual Attitude Recovery
Expand your aircraft-control skills through unusual-attitude recovery, energy management, scenario-based training, and exposure to a broader operating envelope.
- Cessna 150 Aerobat
- Energy management
- Unusual attitudes
- Scenario-based recovery
CFI Spin Endorsement
Focused spin instruction for flight-instructor applicants requiring instructional proficiency in stall awareness, spins, spin entry, and recovery.
- CFI applicants
- Cessna 150 Aerobat
- Instructional proficiency
- Endorsement when requirements are met
Need a Tailwheel Aircraft Ferried?
Chris also provides experienced ferry support for a variety of conventional-gear aircraft, from Cubs and Champs to Stearmans, Bellancas, Cessnas, Skybolts, Eagles, and other tailwheel types.
Interested in vintage aircraft beyond training? Explore aviation heritage, airshow experiences, and living-history education at Retro-Aero.
Why Train With Chris Kirk?
Flight training should leave you better equipped to control the airplane—not simply satisfy the requirements for another endorsement.
- Individualized one-on-one instruction
- Extensive conventional-gear experience
- Strong emphasis on stick-and-rudder fundamentals
- Scenario-based training
- Safety-focused decision making
- Training to proficiency rather than the clock
How Training Works
Your training starts with your goals—not a generic syllabus.
01
Talk With Chris
Start with a free consultation about your experience, previous training, goals, availability, and the skills you want to develop.
02
Build Your Training Plan
Chris develops a plan around your existing skills, experience level, and training objectives.
03
Train to Proficiency
Fly until you demonstrate the knowledge, judgment, and aircraft-control skills appropriate to the training or endorsement.
What Pilots Say
“Chris went beyond just showing me how to recover from spins. He went over the finer points of flying, and I became a better pilot because of that.”
Andre Ferreira
“Despite having 23,000 hours in 187 different aircraft, I knew the value of quality instruction. I was fortunate to find Chris Kirk—an instructor’s instructor.”
Robert G. Elves • Big Bird 1 Aviation
“Chris can help you find where the boundaries are for the airplane and for you, so you can practice to make the responses automatic.”
Sue Folkringa
Frequently Asked Questions
The practical details pilots usually want before getting started.
How long does a tailwheel endorsement take?
Tailwheel training is proficiency-based. Previous experience, coordination, recency, weather, and individual learning rate all affect the amount of training required. After an initial consultation and first lesson, Chris can give you a much more useful assessment.
Do you offer recurrent tailwheel training?
Yes. Recurrent training can sharpen technique, rebuild confidence, and identify gaps that may have developed since your last tailwheel flight.
Can training be completed over several consecutive days?
Often, yes. Scheduling depends on your availability, aircraft availability, maintenance, and Florida weather.
What aircraft do you use?
Tailwheel training is conducted in a Citabria. Spin, upset, and unusual-attitude training use a Cessna 150 Aerobat.
Do you provide CFI spin endorsements?
Yes. Chris provides focused spin instruction for CFI applicants, including the required instructional proficiency and endorsement when the applicable requirements are met.
Where is training conducted?
Training is based at North Perry Airport (KHWO) in Hollywood, Florida, serving pilots throughout South Florida.
How do I get started?
Call Chris or submit the short contact form below to arrange a free initial consultation.
Ready to Become a Better Stick-and-Rudder Pilot?
Whether you’re pursuing a tailwheel endorsement, spin training, recurrent training, or simply want greater confidence controlling an airplane, start with a conversation.
North Perry Airport (KHWO) • South Florida
Start the conversation
Contact Chris
Tell Chris what you fly, what you want to improve, and which program interests you. He’ll follow up to discuss goals, availability, and the best next step.