After completing my primary flight training I asked my instructor to demonstrate spins and spin recoveries. As you may well know, spin training has been omitted from flight training since 1949.
This omission and the ACS softening of stall recoveries (e.g. taking a fully developed stall into a spin) I believe does a disservice to pilots of all experience levels.
The first time the windscreen fills with green flashes spinning before your eyes can be very intimidating. The second time a bit better, next an attempted recovery, soon a "feel and memory items" coalesce and finally it comes together. Later fully developed stalls to spins in a Citabria. Maybe flying down to fly with Catherine Cavagnaro at Ace Aerobatic School?
Spins should not be feared. Full stop. Recovery is mechanical if you understand the procedures, then practice and execute. What should scare the bejeezus out of you are the situations and habits we develop that can lead to a spin, or more correctly in most of our aircraft, the stall/spin.
Steve Krog does a great job in the attached article to explain the spin and the forces acting on the airplane. But the take away message here is: a) about 80% of the spin /stall accidents occur turning downwind to base or base to final and, b) it takes 800-1,000 feet to recover from a spin if you recognize the spin instantaneously, are proficient and execute well. (Note - read the Nall report; the data is right there).
Whoa! 800 - 1,000 feet base to final to recover? I'm thinking there's a call to the next of kin somewhere in this story.
Enjoy the article.
http://inspire.eaa.org/2020/04/08/why-d ... st-pilots/
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