Tailwheel aircraft are highly susceptible to an abrupt, uncontrolled change in direction on the ground called what?

• A. Spin
• B. Ground loop
• C. Skid
• D. Drift

Answer: (B)

Tailwheel airplanes on the ground can pivot about the main gear because there’s no nose wheel to keep the nose aligned, and the tail can swing quickly if steering inputs or braking cause a yaw moment. When the tail swings around and the airplane pivots abruptly, you get a rapid, uncontrolled change in direction—the ground loop. This situation is unique to the ground and is a risk during rollout after landing or during takeoff/landing aborts, where directional control is challenged at lower speeds.

It’s not a spin, which happens in the air with rotation about the vertical axis, nor a skid, which is a tire dragging because of misalignment, nor drift, which is a steady sideward movement due to wind. The defining feature here is that sudden, on-the-ground pivot that can loop the aircraft around its main gear.