Do You Practice Spins?
- Thread starter Robert Szego
- Start date
I found a answer 2 days after I posted. A friend who at age 86 still instructs in his Decathalon suggested adding a boost of power right at the spin entry for an assist. His advice worked in both left and right spin entries. Everything else was conventional-spun and recovered nicely.
blimpy
New member
the people who die in stall/spin accidents are the people who never practiced spins !
Most legacy aircraft were certified for spins... and/or certainly were tested for spin recovery ( eg cruisaire).
I guess I'm fortunate having learned in a Luscombe in the 70's from an old time tail dragger pilot.
My log book from that time has spins listed on almost every flight.
It is a stable maneuver, doesnt stress the airplane any more than any other stall.
the only reason this even became an issue is because the FAA started certifying planes that werent spin tested
during certificaton... or had CG envelopes that didnt accomodate spins at some points... hence the ubiquitous placard
"intentional spins prohibited"
Might as well say " intelligent operation optional ".
I plan on instructing LSA... and trust me spins come before solos !
larry
Most legacy aircraft were certified for spins... and/or certainly were tested for spin recovery ( eg cruisaire).
I guess I'm fortunate having learned in a Luscombe in the 70's from an old time tail dragger pilot.
My log book from that time has spins listed on almost every flight.
It is a stable maneuver, doesnt stress the airplane any more than any other stall.
the only reason this even became an issue is because the FAA started certifying planes that werent spin tested
during certificaton... or had CG envelopes that didnt accomodate spins at some points... hence the ubiquitous placard
"intentional spins prohibited"
Might as well say " intelligent operation optional ".
I plan on instructing LSA... and trust me spins come before solos !
larry
mvanbergen
New member
Yes, I also practice spins...both directions and recovering on a target heading.
wbecker
New member
Yes. In 1969 I was in training for my PPL in Cessna 150s. I asked my instructor to show me a spin, he said "no I don't do spins".
So I went home and read my Duane Cole book "Roll Around A Point" again. The next solo flight (still a student) I tried a spin.
I loved it and did several more. I now am flying an 8KCAB and still spinning!
So I went home and read my Duane Cole book "Roll Around A Point" again. The next solo flight (still a student) I tried a spin.
I loved it and did several more. I now am flying an 8KCAB and still spinning!
New to forum here and this post caught my attention. I'm a huge fan of spins, always have been. They are both an informative maneuver to practice as well as a ton of fun (done right).
When I was getting my CFI-A, my instructor was terrified of spins. He was a terrible spin teacher and would baby the Cherokee into a barely spin then recover with barely a turn. I learned more from the FAA examiner on my check ride than I did in training!
Now, I practice, demonstrate, and train spins. I'm a CFI without regular students, mostly providing BFRs for friends and co-workers. My basic approach is fly in the "familiar" airplane first, then get into my 7KCAB for air work. Start with incipient, then 1/2 turn, then fully developed - up to two turn spins. Worked really well for a friend who has a Mooney and really needed the opportunity to get comfortable with spin recovery. He stays far away from even dropping a wing on a stall due to the poor spin characteristics of his bird.
One more not, I'm a fan of entering a spin from a pseudo-snap roll; I think of it as a crisp, accelerated stall entry. I pull full aft stick and rudder from about 60mph. The resulting spin is fairly flat and passengers seem to like the ride more than the earth stare you get from a full stall entry.
When I was getting my CFI-A, my instructor was terrified of spins. He was a terrible spin teacher and would baby the Cherokee into a barely spin then recover with barely a turn. I learned more from the FAA examiner on my check ride than I did in training!
Now, I practice, demonstrate, and train spins. I'm a CFI without regular students, mostly providing BFRs for friends and co-workers. My basic approach is fly in the "familiar" airplane first, then get into my 7KCAB for air work. Start with incipient, then 1/2 turn, then fully developed - up to two turn spins. Worked really well for a friend who has a Mooney and really needed the opportunity to get comfortable with spin recovery. He stays far away from even dropping a wing on a stall due to the poor spin characteristics of his bird.
One more not, I'm a fan of entering a spin from a pseudo-snap roll; I think of it as a crisp, accelerated stall entry. I pull full aft stick and rudder from about 60mph. The resulting spin is fairly flat and passengers seem to like the ride more than the earth stare you get from a full stall entry.
ColetteMiller
New member
Since I have always flown my Citabria in Aerobatics, I do spins. I learned aerobatics early on and have flown many aerobatic airplanes. Spins, which are part of aerobatic sequences and the means of entry into several aerobatic maneuvers, were required for the private pilot license when I first started flying. If they were still required, many stall/spin accidents would never have occurred.
Robert Szego
New member
Indeed. Although not required for my Private, my CFI insisted that I demonstrate spin recovery before signing me off for solo.
shipchief
New member
My son Peter took "Upset Training" and basic airobatics from the "West Coast Spin Doctor" in a Citabria. Then he joined the IAC and started aerobatic competition. A followed a couple of years later, taking spin instruction and more in a Decathlon from Will Allan, "The Flying Tenor" out of Renton WA.
Now I fly aerobatics in a Giles G-200. We are both Cruisemaster nuts. No aerobatics with those.
Now I fly aerobatics in a Giles G-200. We are both Cruisemaster nuts. No aerobatics with those.