1. 12 Myths about Stalls & Spins Checked out from the Members Only Library Society of Aviation and Flight Educators www.SafePilots.org The following presentation has been donated to the SAFE Library for educational use by SAFE Members. Permission for any other use must be coordinated directly with the author: rich@richstowell.com, 805-218-0161 Created by Rich Stowell, MCFI-A, SAFE #0002 Copyright © 2010 by Rich Stowell (This presentation contains instructor notes for use in presentation.)

2. 12 Myths about Stalls & Spins Rich Stowell, Master CFI-Aerobatic 2006 Flight Instructor of the Year

3. Myth #1 Flying too slowly causes stalls Flying too slowly causes stalls –Angle of attack is key –Airspeed by itself is useless –Reinforced by the wings-level, one-g stalls practiced for check rides

4. Myth #2 Stalls cause spins Stalls cause spins –Two elements needed: stall & yaw –Neither stalling nor yawing alone will result in spinning –Simultaneously stalling with sufficient yawing drives the spin

5. Myth #3 All cross-controlled flight increases your stall / spin potential All cross-controlled flight increases your stall / spin potential –Two basic flavors: skids & slips –Skids = higher stall / spin potential –Slips = lower stall / spin potential

6. Myth #4 If you inadvertently stall or spin, just let go of the controls If you inadvertently stall or spin, just let go of the controls –Auto-recovery may sometimes occur in the early stages –Later in the process or under different conditions, however, this may not result in recovery at all

7. Myth #4 –Letting go during a surprise stall / spin is not a natural instinct –Clutching the stick or yoke is a more common reaction

8. Myth #4 –Majority of stall / spin accidents occur at or below traffic pattern altitude –More altitude may be lost compared to prompt application of recovery controls

9. Myth #5 During recovery from upright spins, the elevator control should not be moved forward until rotation ceases During recovery from upright spins, the elevator control should not be moved forward until rotation ceases –Stems from misinterpretation of landmark NACA Spin Recovery Procedure published in 1936

10. Myth #5 –“After the lapse of appreciable time, say after at [least] one-half additional turn … briskly move the elevator…”

11. Myth #5 –105°/sec, “lapse” = 1.7 seconds –135°/sec, “lapse” = 1.3 seconds –180°/sec, “lapse” = 1.0 seconds –220°/sec, “lapse” = 0.8 seconds

12. Myth #5 –Opposite rudder alone may effect recovery in some cases, but may not be sufficient by itself in other cases

13. Myth #5 –Don’t rely on opposite rudder alone –Expect full opposite rudder followed by forward elevator to stop spinning

14. Myth #6 During spins, the slip / skid indicator shows spin direction During spins, the slip / skid indicator shows spin direction –The slip / skid ball is unreliable when spinning

15. Myth #6

17. Myth #7 The longer an airplane stays in a spin, the more airspeed it gains and the faster it rotates The longer an airplane stays in a spin, the more airspeed it gains and the faster it rotates –High Drag maneuver –Airspeed stabilizes at a low & constant value –Rate of rotation eventually stabilizes

18. Myth #8 The longer an airplane stays in a spin, the greater the chance of structural damage The longer an airplane stays in a spin, the greater the chance of structural damage –Upright spins are about one-g –Significant g could be imposed during pullout –Pilot must manage g to stay within design limits

19. Myth #9 Since most accidental spins occur too low for recovery, spin training is a useless exercise Since most accidental spins occur too low for recovery, spin training is a useless exercise –Typical stall / spin accident not a sudden, random event –Largely a pilot-driven process

20. Myth #9 –Stall / spins have warning signs –Scenario-based training provides awareness & skill to prevent accidental spins in the first place

21. Myth #10 Pilots with more experience are better at avoiding fatal stall / spins than pilots with less experience Pilots with more experience are better at avoiding fatal stall / spins than pilots with less experience –Student pilots = 15% of pilot population –Involved in only 4% percent of fatal stall / spins (better than ATPs!)

22. Myth #10 –Private & commercial pilots = 61% of pilot population –Involved in 83% of fatal stall / spins

23. Myth #11 As a whole, flight instructors are well qualified to teach stalls and spins As a whole, flight instructors are well qualified to teach stalls and spins –CFIs tend not to be well trained in stall / spin dynamics –CFIs tend not to have sufficient hands-on experience to conduct safe, meaningful stall / spin training

24. Myth #12 Spins can be hard on an airplane’s gyro instruments Spins can be hard on an airplane’s gyro instruments –Senior gyroscope technicians at TGH Aviation in Auburn, CA report no additional wear factors on either attitude gyros or directional gyros

25. For More Information Rich Stowell, Rich@RichStowell.com www.RichStowell.com Society of Aviation and Flight Educators www.SafePilots.org