Once the mainwheels are on the surface, the tail should be  permitted to drop on its own accord until it too makes ground  contact. At this point, the elevator should be brought to the  full aft position and deceleration should be allowed to proceed  as in a three-point landing. the tail makes contact first. Provided this happens from no  more than a foot off the surface, the result is undramatic:  the tail touches, the plane pitches forward slightly onto the  mainwheels, and rollout proceeds normally. In every case, once the tailwheel makes contact, the elevator  control should be eased fully back to press the tailwheel on  the runway. Without this elevator input, the AOA of the  horizontal stabilizer develops enough lift to lighten pressure  on the tailwheel and render it useless as a directional control  with possibly unwelcome consequences. This after-landing  elevator input is quite foreign to nosewheel pilots and must  be stressed during transition training. NOTE: The only difference between three-point and wheel  landings is the timing of the touchdown (early and later).  There is no difference between the approach angles and  airspeeds in the two techniques. As noted, it is highly desirable to eliminate crab and drift  at touchdown. By far the best approach to crosswind  management is a side-slip or wing-low touchdown. Landing  in this attitude, only one mainwheel makes initial contact,  either in concert with the tailwheel in three-point landings  or by itself in wheel landings.  NOTE: Before the tailwheel is on the ground, application of  full back elevator during the flare lowers the tail, increases the  AOA, and quite naturally puts the plane in climbing flight. In some wind conditions, the need to retain control authority  may make it desirable to make contact with the runway at  a higher airspeed than that associated with the three-point  attitude. This necessitates landing in a flatter pitch attitude on  the mainwheels only, with the tailwheel still off the surface.  [Figure 13-3]  As noted, if the tail is off the ground, it tends  to drop and put the plane airborne, so a soft touchdown and a  slight relaxation of back elevator just after the wheels touch  are key ingredients to a successful wheel landing.  The landing process must never be considered complete  until the airplane decelerates to the normal taxi speed during  the landing roll or has been brought to a complete stop  when clear of the landing area. The pilot must be alert for  directional control difficulties immediately upon and after  touchdown, and the elevator control should be held back as  far as possible and as firmly as possible until the airplane  stops. This provides more positive control with tailwheel  steering, tends to shorten the after-landing roll, and prevents  bouncing and skipping. If the touchdown is made at too high a rate of descent, the tail is  forced down by its own weight, resulting in a sudden increase  in lift. If the pilot now pushes forward in an attempt to again  make contact with the surface, a potentially dangerous pilot- induced oscillation may develop. It is far better to respond to  a bounced wheel landing attempt by initiating a go-around  or converting to a three-point landing if conditions permit. Any difference between the direction the airplane is traveling  and the direction it is headed (drift or crab) produces a moment  about the pivot point of the wheels, and the airplane tends to  swerve. Loss of directional control may lead to an aggravated,  uncontrolled, tight turn on the ground, or a ground loop. The  Crosswinds After-Landing Roll Wheel Landing Figure 13-3.  Wheel landing. 13-6 Normal glide Start roundout to landing altitude Hold the airplane in  level flight attitude  until the main wheels  touch. The tailwheel  should be held clear of  the runway.  Immediately but  smoothly retard the throttle,  and hold sufficient forward  elevator pressure to hold the main  wheels on the ground. As the airplane’s speed  continues to decrease,  the tail may be allowed to  slowly touch the ground.  CROSS WIND