long post so ill warn ya now....ok so i'm nearing the end of my ppl, i'm wondering, i am in commercial ground school and we just finished talking about spins and stalls, complex aircraft etc etc...but i'm curious, how bad are spins really, i mean controlled spins with an instructor, i'm asking because its one of the few fears i have of flying, obviously proffesional pilots here have done them and instructors or people with their CFIs, are they really as bad as they seem, i watched the video thats on here of a c-152 doing a spin and it didnt seem that bad, stall to a left break into a spin and recovered after a few turns but it is a video...whats the experience like? thoughts? feelings? any help would be appreciated..thanks guys B)

Anticipation is usually worse than experience. And in this case, it is true. You'll come out of it agreeing with me.

I was actually a little disappointed that it was the non-event that it was. Of course, if you are a pax reading a magazine, then sure. It's a big deal. But you are doing it with full knowledge of what's taking place. It's much different. Hard to explain.

It's not nearly as bad as you think. You'll probably find it enjoyable knowing you're in control.

Let's face it. You don't ever hear of crashes during spin instruction, do you? You'll do fine. Believe me. Have fun and enjoy it for what it is. Just like anything else.

thanks, yea even when i do stalls, if i feel a break ill recover fine but i always think....what if i dont, i know i wont crash, but what is it going to feel like, how violent it the break? ive done a stage check with a senior CFI and we did accelerated stalls and one broke very viloently but i recovered, but i still get a little shaken up if i get some breaking during a stall, even thinking of spins gets my adrenaline pumpin a little, i want to do it, but at the same time i dont (maybe its my fear of heights\fear of spins kickin in at the same time...yea i have a huge fear of heights..go figure) well its not on the ppl list of training, but i think after i get my ppl i might invest in some spin training, thanks alot Bernoulli....anyone else have any thoughts or opinions on spins?

I was panicing about doing spins to. This is only because i was going to it in a PA-38 traumahawk. My instructor said you don't have to do them but he offered to show me.


Do you recon i should go and do a spin just for the experience or not? <_<

As Bernoulli said, the anticipation and anxiety about spin training is a little overrated.
With some knowledge, this "uncontrollable" flying event, is relegated to just another manuever, unless its inadvertent.

First, you must understand the aerodynamic principles behind the stall/spin scenario.
The spin is just a post-stall gyration from an aggravated stall. In most small or light airplanes, it is easily recoverable assuming you have the altitude to effect a recovery.

In most fatal stall/spin accidents, you run out of altitude in the pattern before you can recover.

In my view, every pilot undergoing flight training for even a private license should receive at least one hour of aerobatics,unusual attitude training and spin recovery training.

I have done hundreds of spins in my earlier flying days as a USAF IP/FE/Spin Pilot.

Just make sure that the airplane you are doing spin training in is certified for it and your IP is well versed in the academics involved. Knowledge is power-go have fun with it! :D

Completely agree with you sir, the anticipation is by far worst then the actual thing.
might add that after the first to the left and the first to the right, that anticipation just...evaporates.

Aerobatics are fun. i was looking forward to my first spin and it wasnt as great as i had heard still cool though. dont worry flying isnt dangerous crashing is dangerous.

You instructor should do what I did with my Prinmary students!!!!!



SPIN YA!


I believe its wrong to "scare" a student that if they dont cordinate they will spin. I have noticed that it terrifies them (some of'em) to the piont that they hate stalls! Have him spin ya!

no i will not have HER spin me, but if my she did that to me, just like out of the blue, i'd be so pissed at her lol <--- that would be me, but alot more dramatic, and lots of swears...

Then you have already been "sub-consiously scared" of spins! Not saying that your scared, but how you gona find out, when you never do it. Ask your instructor to spin you! ;)

yea i hear what your sayin...i think its my fear of heights\falling that kicks in...but i'll think about it, maybe i will ask for a spin one day....btw, do you pull any G's, negative or positve while going into a spin?

not even a negative. Alittle in that direction though. Depends on how far you get into it! There is a positive G or so whe you recover from the dive! Nothing I would say "pack a sick sax" for!

That is unless you are planning of doing some 20 or so in a row, last time I did I did feel a little squeezing in the throat. :blink:

Do as many as you can. We did six spins per slot at instructors school.

The more you do the funner it gets. But no-one should drop one on you just like that. Recovery is specific and you would do best to learn this on the ground before going up, but by tradition, people tend to teach most of it in the aircraft which is strange when the whole world is spinning in front of you like a great big washing machine. The apprehension is worse than the real thing which is great the more you do it.

As for SPIN YA!! Then, you`ve gone down in my esteem.

Try to go up with an aerobatics instructor and you may get more spins in, I swear the more you do the more you will enjoy it.

You won`t die. Unless you try it from 500 feet, then, you will, for sure. ok?

And all this is coming from wimpy old me who can`t stand spinning. If I can do it - a baby of one can do it!!!

Also, grab a large scothch and down it in one (tonight - not before you go flying!!!)
and as it goes down say to yourself...aggghhh, spinninggg, yehhhhhh, yeeeeha!!!

Then go an do it, on the day. If you are ill, unwell, tell your instructor and he will stop because he doesn`t want the smell of puke in the aircraft, also, he does not want you to be ill, if he is normal. Look at it this way, if you learn the spin recovery properly, then hey! You can recover yourself and get on with it ok? Its a cinch. Check it out. You are spinning - This Is A Spin.....wheeeeeeeEEEEE, 1/. Pull power OFF.
2/. Apply Full Opposite rudder until spin stops, at the same time put the control column fully foward - spin stopped? Excellent, (it will have don`t worry) then raise the nose to just above the horizon, wait for a decent airspeed (say 80 knots) then full power (right rudder) climb away, see how much height you have lost!!!! A lot huh? So climb back up, recover yourself and do it all again, and the worse you fear the more you had better do. Its a lodda fun.

As an instuctor for over 1700 hours, I have noticed that after a student is educated on a spin, and with proper spin recovery techniques covered in Ground school, its really a none event!

I do not put them in a spin!! Please don't think I would jump anyone like that! Lets just say that after I have taught the proper way to do a proper power on stall (where most spin originate) and they don't do it properly, I don;t go rushing after the controls to stop what is about to happen! You would be surprised at how well a student would do with no promting! If they try to "turn" you out a spin, just drive a knee under the yoke!

I have recieved so many students in my instucting career from thoer instuctors that couldn;t gt them around power on stalls! I go up on one flight and I can tell in an instant what the problem is! They are terrified of spinning! Spins aren't even considerd an aerobatic manuever! Then I ask, wana spin? Wana see what all the hyp is about? Most are reluctant cause of fear, but with a little reasurance that it has been done before. they give in!


SPIN EM!

hey hawker....ok i thought you would just go up and spin em...that makes more sense in your last post, sounds like you would be a cool instructor, i havent flown in a while, im dyin to get up in the air again but damn new england weather, really windy, but like i said i'll think about havin my instructor spin me, i just need to figure out how to overcome my fear :ph34r:

Hawker - I want to come and fly with you!
Can we get some hours in?

To overcome it, you have to face it! TIME TO SPIN!




Come to PWM and we can arrange that!

lol hmm...i got my issue of "flying" magazine today...april edition...on the cover, something like, how important is spin training....i wonder if its a sign haha