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