| Here is a perfect example of why you should | | | | entries, and he just kept saying, "Nope, that |
| get spin training when you are doing your | | | | is not what happened." It finally dawned on |
| | | | me what had happened, and I asked him. Sure |
| Flight Training:for a pilot license. | | | | enough, I had hit the nail on the head. |
| | | | |
| Back in 1992, after I had been instructing | | | | The spin my student got himself into was one |
| for a few years, I was in the local FBO's | | | | of the worst cases you could imagine. He was |
| office where I worked. I was waiting for one | | | | practicing power-off stalls, so the normal |
| of my students to come back from a solo | | | | recovery procedure is to lower the nose, add |
| flight. When my student came in, he looked as | | | | full power, and start retracting flaps ten |
| though he had just seen a ghost. He was | | | | degrees at a time. |
| shaking and sweating I asked him what | | | | |
| happened. The answer that I got was one that | | | | Little did my student know that the plane had |
| most flight instructors would not want to | | | | started to enter the spin when he added full |
| hear: "I was practicing stalls in the | | | | power. The result was a torque roll that |
| practice area, and all of a sudden I was | | | | placed the plane upside down at first, then |
| upside down, and then just spinning toward | | | | continued to spin with the help of the |
| the ground I didn't know what to do, but I | | | | full-power setting. I didn't think that a 152 |
| heard your voice tell me to pull the power | | | | was capable of that, but sure enough, it was. |
| back and just let go of the control column, | | | | So he pulled the power and let go of it, |
| and the plane will stabilize." | | | | recovering about 400 feet above the ground. |
| | | | |
| If you know anything about small Cessnas, | | | | I think every pilot out there should do some |
| they tend to have a forward CG and will | | | | type of spin training. Now that I don't have |
| recover if you just let go of the controls | | | | an aerobatic airplane, I do a flight that |
| for a second-that is, if you are not in a | | | | shows students how to enter and recover from |
| fully developed spin. So that is what the | | | | the spin. This is not a full spin lesson, but |
| student did. Even more upsetting was when he | | | | it shows the student what to expect. If the |
| stated the fact that, once the plane stopped | | | | student does get himself in trouble, I will |
| spinning and the nose started to come up, the | | | | let them go as long as I can. |
| altimeter was reading about 1,800-1,900 feet. | | | | |
| | | | When I had a Cessna 152 Aerobat, I would do |
| If you fly in the Phoenix area, you know that | | | | spins and basic aerobatics with every student |
| the ground elevation is approximately 1,500 | | | | who wouldn't put the plane over weight. Most |
| feet MSL. So my student recovered about 300 | | | | students would be a little scared, but after |
| to 400 feet about the ground. This is far | | | | the first of two flights, they couldn't wait |
| below normal traffic patterns. Would you like | | | | to do the second one. |
| this to happen to you? Because it can happen | | | | |
| to you. Or would you rather have an | | | | If you can get up and do this before you |
| instructor go over spin entries and | | | | solo, I suggest not doing it in an extra 300. |
| recoveries with you? | | | | Yes, it will be a fun time, but you won't get |
| | | | the feel of the plane you are normally |
| I was taking aerobatic flight lessons at the | | | | flying. If you can't do it in an Aerobat, try |
| time and had practiced plenty of 3- to 4-turn | | | | to get in a Citabria or Super Decathlon. Use |
| spins, so I got the parachutes on, and up we | | | | a plane that will be a little sluggish to |
| went. I started demonstrating spins and spin | | | | simulate the plane you are training in. |