I just posted the following to the HomeBuiltAirplanes. com web site to the owner of a Backyard Flyer Ultralight. I thought it would be worthwhile to post it here also.

I am a tailwheel CFI and recommend some dual wheel landings before trying it in your BYF. However, if you choose to do it yourself here are my suggestions.

First, do all of the following on a good size airport with a long wide runway.

Phase 1
Make several takeoffs and aborted takeoffs that include high speed taxi with the tail in the air. Practice pitch control to keep the aircraft in a slow cruise attitude. If the tail is too high there is a lot of weight on the main gear and steering is overly sensitive. Tail to low and forward visibility is compromised and you are doing more of a three point landing.

Phase 2
Make several low passes down the runway at 1.3 to 1.5 Vso each one getting lower and lower until you can fly about 6 inches or less off the surface without touching. Once that is mastered reduce power slightly once established at the 6 inch or less height. Hold altitude with pitch for a second or two then hold attitude for a second or so. How long all that takes depends on the initial speed and amount of power remaining. What follows is the important part.

Phase 3
You decide when it is time to land. Pitch attitude should be the same or slightly more nose up than what was practiced in phase 1. When you are ready to touch down slightly relax the back pressure on the stick and the aircraft will very shortly sink onto the runway. Before or at the instant of touchdown the stick needs to be moving forward, slowly at first and with the speed of movement gradually increasing. All of the above from the time you decide to touch down to this point takes place in a half second or less. At this time you are firmly, but not too firmly, on the ground. Establish the pitch attitude practiced in phase 1 above and hold it until you are well below stall speed.
Put the tail down at too high of speed and the wing will lift and a cross wind can blow you across the runway. Put the tail down at too low of speed and you will lose rudder effectiveness and weathervane into the wind. No cross wind and hold the tail up too long and you lose elevator control and the tail falls to the ground. You want to lower the tail wheel to the ground gradually.

Once the tail is on the ground, quickly transition to full aft stick, same as always while taxiing into the wind, to keep weight on the tailwheel and maintain good tail wheel steering. Of course you need to maintain good directional control throughout the above practice. If you are having uncommanded and poorly corrected directional changes suspend the wheel landing training and return to conventional landing practice. I will not let a student use more than half of the runway width. He owns the center half; I own both edge quarters. If the student gets on my half he buys a runway light. If you have never priced a runway light, you do not want to know how much they cost; about half the price of the airplane.

Make the decision to do a wheel landing on down wind, not on short final or in the flair. Fly the approach at a faster than normal speed as you would if there were a gusty crosswind. Rule of thumb is add half the steady wind plus the full gust value up to 20 knots. Example: wind 12 G 17 add 6+5 or 11 knots. In calm winds add 5 knots on final for a wheel landing. Keep some power on through touchdown until you get the hang of it. Use the standard bounce recovery procedure - add power and go around.

If you can do the above without ever getting excited or worried, you will be OK. Just remember, you can pay the instructor of the doctor & mechanic; it's your choice.