Spin Training Archives - Golf Hotel Whiskey

Intense spin recovery video

Hat tip to Sulako’s Blog for finding and posting this intense video of a skydiving flight that could have turned into a fatal accident when the pilot accidently stalled the aircraft while slowing to allow the jumpers to jump.

Apparently, the aircraft went below the minimum safe approach speed on run-in causing a stall and subsequent spin. The skydivers then exited the aircraft and the pilot was able to recover and land safely.

The aircraft was then inspected and no defects were discovered but as a precaution, it will undergo stress analysis. Likewise, the pilot will be receiving extra training to avoid a re-occurrence while all pilots with the company will have more intense stall and spin training in order to be able to identify and recover from situations where a stall or a spin may occur.

Sulako used the video provide the following suggestions to pilots should they ever encounter a similar situation:

Neutralize the controls by moving the control column to the neutral position, wings level.
Apply full rudder in the opposite direction of the spin.
You may need to check forward on the controls a “wee bit” to break the stall.
Once rotation stops, level the wings and ease out of the resulting dive, reducing power if necessary once above stall speed.

However, Sulako also pointed out that some aircraft DO NOT RECOVER from spins – meaning you must focus on NOT putting these types of aircraft into a situation that may cause them to spin. Moreover, some types of aircraft will have non-standard stall or spin recovery techniques that you will need to know in order to recover.

Hence, Sulako’s entire post is well worth reading – along with all of the relevant documentation the aircraft you fly comes with that.

Spin recovery acronym

Knowing proper spin recovery techniques can easily save your life should you ever enter into a dangerous spin. Hence, a recent video by Jason Schappert of the MzeroA.com blog is well worth watching as he comes up with a spin recovery acronym that is both easy to remember and may save your life. Specifically, Jason’s spin recovery acronym is P.A.R.E. which stands for:

P: Power Back
A: Ailerons Neutral
R: Rudder (Opposite)
E: Elevator (Down)

In the video, Jason will walk you through each of these spin recovery steps.

Jason also mentioned that he has just released a new book entitled Aviation Acronyms that is full of useful acronyms for pilots. Aviation Acronyms is available for $12.97 on Amazon.com where you can also have a look inside before purchasing.

A test pilot’s view of spin training

Rob Stapleton of the Alaskan Dispatch’s Bush Pilot blog has recently written about "Stalls, Spins and Safety," a book written by Sammy Mason, a test pilot for Lockheed, that was written in 1982 after a long battle to get the USA’s FAA to re-instate spin training. As Rob noted, Sammy had spent a considerable amount of time testing aircraft such as the T-33, T2V-1 jet trainers and the F-94C fighter and ultimately became Lockheed’s authority on stall/spin testing. Hence, Sammy’s book offers a test pilot’s view of the subject of spins and spin training and as rob noted, its a “fascinating mix of aeronautical knowledge and practical examples.”

In his post, Rob pointed out that:

Mason states that spins can and do occur in everyday flying. "Although most stall/spin accidents are not the result of situations as dramatic as bursting balloons, they occur more frequently than they should, and from everyday flight situations common to normal aircraft utilization," according to Mason.
In other words, cross-controlled flight at slow speed or using ailerons to straighten the wings during a stall can contribute to a stall/spin scenario.
Mason goes on to say that while flying at minimum speed a pilot may be required to make a sudden pull-up, steep turn, or a combination of both to avoid other traffic while on final approach.

Rob then noted that there has been an upswing in the number Alaska accidents that included flight instructors and an upswing in loss-of-control accidents during the takeoff and landing portions of a flight. However, he also wrote that some Alaskan instructors are still a bit queasy about spinning an aircraft with a student in it and currently students and instructors are only required to “recognize and recover from a spin entry — not perform a full-turn spin or more.” On the other hand, Rob ended his post by noting that Sammy had concluded:

"Because of a general lack of skill in spin training among flight instructors, I believe the number of spin accidents would increase."

In other words and if you are a student pilot or already an experienced pilot, additional spin training should be something worth considering while Sammy’s book about the subject is well worth reading.

How to recover from a deadly stall spin

Spins and not knowing how to properly recover from one can lead to deadly accidents. In fact, the Alaska Dispatch’s Bush Pilot blog has recently noted that aviation experts are blaming the lack of basic flight training and stall spin awareness as a cause of a recent increase in Alaska aviation accidents this year. And while weather and poor decision making are also being viewed as major culprits for the rise in accidents, Alaskan flight instructor Marcus Paine was quoted as saying that the FAA “spends millions of dollars on runway incursion awareness that have never killed a single Alaskan pilot, but has spent no money on stall spin training — the single biggest killer of Alaska pilots annually." He also added that most pilots never get proper hands-on stall spin experience outside of any pre-solo stall awareness training.

Marcus then made the point that every pilot should fly with a qualified flight instructor and learn what happens during a stall spin scenario. By doing so, a pilot will become proficient at recognizing just how easy a stall spin scenario can happen as well as learn how to recover from one – if your response is quick and if you have enough attitude.

However and if you want to learn more about proper spin recovery techniques, be sure to check out this short video that was put together by Jason Schappert for his MzeroA.com website. In the video, Jason outlines a three step spin recovery process that can greatly increase your chances of recovery should you enter into a deadly spin.

Three things to do in order to recover from a spin

Spins and spin recovery practice can be scary. In fact, some instructors will not have their students practice spins. However and in a recent post by Jason Schappert, he stated that before he puts a student up for solo, he always makes them recover from at least one spin. Why? Because if a spin were to happen when the student pilot is flying solo, he or she may panic and not know what to do (or do the wrong thing).

In fact, Jason relates the story of how he took a student pilot up for practice before his check ride and made him perform a spin. Of course the student panicked when things did not happen as anticipated but Jason walked him through the recovery procedure. This involves three simple procedures:

Neutral Ailerons
Throttle back to idle
Opposite Rudder

In addition, Jason also included this handy diagram in his post as a useful reference:

Practicing solo spins

It is natural to be a little nervous about spin training or practicing solo spins but Roger Worden has written an account about his recent solo spin practice that should put other pilots at ease. Now this is not the first time Roger has blogged about spin practice or spin training (he previously blogged about doing spins with instructors back in 2005 and 2008 plus about doing a few solo spins in a PW5) and he candidly admits that while he was never nervous about spins when he had an instructor with him, he did find it scary when he practiced spins on his own.

This time around however, Roger had no problems with performing three solo spins in a Blanik. In fact, he states right after he describes his first spin that he was thinking: "’Wow – that was really easy.’ Period – not exclamation point. It was just… easy and natural.” After he describes his second and third spin, he states that he had a much better experience than when he performed his first solo spins back in April. Moreover, Roger states that being at home in the sky and comfortable with performing any maneuver are his goals as a pilot and he feels that he is much closer to achieving these goals after his latest solo spins.

Thus, if you are not yet at home in the sky and comfortable with spin maneuvers, Rogers posts about spins will certainly go along way to putting your mind at ease.