| Back in 1992, after I had been flight instructing for a | | | | Little did my student know that the plane had started |
| few years, I was in the local FBO's office where I | | | | to enter the spin when he added full power. The result |
| worked. I was waiting for one of my students to come | | | | was a torque roll that placed the plane upside down at |
| back from a solo flight. When my student came in, he | | | | first, then continued to spin with the help of the |
| looked as though he had just seen a ghost. He was | | | | full-power setting. I didn't think that a 152 was capable |
| shaking and sweating I asked him what happened. The | | | | of that, but sure enough, it was. So he pulled the |
| answer that I got was one that most flight instructors | | | | power and let go of it, recovering about 400 feet |
| would not want to hear: "I was practicing stalls in the | | | | above the ground. |
| practice area, and all of a sudden I was upside down, | | | | I think every pilot out there should do some type of |
| and then just spinning toward the ground I didn't know | | | | spin training. Now that I don't have an aerobatic |
| what to do, but I heard your voice tell me to pull the | | | | airplane, I do a flight that shows students how to enter |
| power back and just let go of the control column, and | | | | and recover from the spin. This is not a full spin lesson, |
| the plane will stabilize." | | | | but it shows the student what to expect. If the student |
| If you know anything about small Cessnas, they tend | | | | does get himself in trouble, I will let them go as long as I |
| to have a forward CG and will recover if you just let | | | | can. |
| go of the controls for a second-that is, if you are not in | | | | When I had a Cessna 152 Aerobat, I would do spins |
| a fully developed spin. So that is what the student did. | | | | and basic aerobatics with every student who wouldn't |
| Even more upsetting was when he stated the fact | | | | put the plane over weight. Most students would be a |
| that, once the plane stopped spinning and the nose | | | | little scared, but after the first of two flights, they |
| started to come up, the altimeter was reading about | | | | couldn't wait to do the second one. |
| 1,800-1,900 feet. | | | | If you can get up and do this before you solo, I |
| If you fly in the Phoenix area, you know that the | | | | suggest not doing it in an extra 300. Yes, it will be a fun |
| ground elevation is approximately 1,500 feet MSL. So | | | | time, but you won't get the feel of the plane you are |
| my student recovered about 300 to 400 feet about | | | | normally flying. If you can't do it in an Aerobat, try to |
| the ground. This is far below normal traffic patterns. | | | | get in a Citabria or Super Decathlon. Use a plane that |
| Would you like this to happen to you? Because it can | | | | will be a little sluggish to simulate the plane you are |
| happen to you. Or would you rather have an instructor | | | | training in. |
| go over spin entries and recoveries with you? | | | | I personally thing all Student Pilots should have spin |
| I was taking aerobatic flight lessons at the time and | | | | training. |
| had practiced plenty of 3- to 4-turn spins, so I got the | | | | Frederick Longe(Airfreddy) has been flying since 1985. |
| parachutes on, and up we went. I started | | | | He has owned many airplanes and owned a flight |
| demonstrating spins and spin entries, and he just kept | | | | school in Mesa, Arizona . He has logged over 9,000 |
| saying, "Nope, that is not what happened." It finally | | | | Hours of flight instruction alone. In 1998 Longe was |
| dawned on me what had happened, and I asked him. | | | | awarded one of the first Master CFI Designations in |
| Sure enough, I had hit the nail on the head. | | | | the country by the National Association of Flight |
| The spin my student got himself into was one of the | | | | Instructors. He also has two degrees in Professional |
| worst cases you could imagine. He was practicing | | | | Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical |
| power-off stalls, so the normal recovery procedure is | | | | University. |
| to lower the nose, add full power, and start retracting | | | | Longe is an active Flight Instructor and Aviation Writer. |
| flaps ten degrees at a time. | | | | |