Spinning and have you done some ?

[Spooks]

We're not allowed to intentionally spin in the UK unless getting the aerobatic or instructor rating. However I am fortunate to have a full simulator at the flight school so was able to do simulated spins with the instructor during stall training.

 

It was not required training but I thought it'd be beneficial.

 

 

[djpacro]

I'd forgotten about the Bocian, it was a very long time ago.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

The dear old lady of the air, the Blanik, was a very forgiving platform... they would spin nicely and recover according to the book...

My first love...we were told of one Blanik spinning right down to the deck, hitting one wingtip first then the other, before the nose impacted. Pilot walked away.

 

 

[kaz3g]

I'd forgotten about the Bocian, it was a very long time ago.

I'm very old!

 

Kaz

 

 

[djpacro]

I'm very old!

I was referring to my own Bocian flying, same thought.

[djpacro]

Article on spin training in the Feb issue of Sport Pilot - with this note:

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Excellent. Sensible approach. (I'm biased) Been pushing for that for many years. Nev

 

 

[Oscar]

Dafydd Llewellyn and I think George Markey spent years fighting Paul Middleton on just this issue, when spin training was removed from the Pilot Certificate requirements. I am not sure of the reasoning behind Middleton's antipathy to spin training, though it MAY have been that he believed spins to be some sort of terrifying bogeyman in the closet for recreational pilots.

 

Once again, as many have mentioned, I think it is noteworthy that spin recovery training and continuing competency - and I mean PROPER spin recovery, not just incipient spin reaction training - is an accepted part of glider flying. When thermalling, glider pilots are working the thin edge of tight, slow turns in rough air and that moment when the stick pressure goes loose and the aircraft starts to drop the inside wing is so familiar that the response is ingrained in muscle memory. You don't even glance at the instruments, nor does the cardiac rate go up - at worst, you curse the slight loss of height incurred in the recovery..

 

Never having had that experience in powered aircraft, I can accept that the transition - which in gliders is quite gentle, really - can be very sudden, sharp and extreme. However, the certification / certifying standards for ultralights requires a 'civilised' standard of handling. Not all, by any measure, achieve this in all situations - and power-off with the reduction in airflow over the tailfeathers is a prime suspect in a number of otherwise relatively benign aircraft. People who are uncertain of their competence in spin / incipient spin recovery, would do well to look at any intended purchases with an eye to more than just its 'hot' looks....

 

For those who perhaps don't understand the 'loose stick /wing drop' reference, the best analogies I could offer are the feeling on the steering wheel of a car hitting black ice or a motorcycle hitting an oil slick hidden by a wet road surface, in poor light that hides the oil slick colours. Even with modern power steering that masks the effort needed to hold a car steering against the slip-angle, the transition to zero load on your hands is tangible ( and for motorcycle riders, you ABSOLUTELY know the front end is slipping away, because the damn bike is dropping into the corner like a stone. It is NOT a welcoming feeling).