172 Spin Recovery

[Bill Bridges]

I was watching the video on the forum page on spin recovery in the C172. It seemed to me that the instructor was teaching a different technique than I was taught in the T-41. This is not being critical of the instructor, but more of question on technique. It seemed I was taught to neutralize the controls (ailerons and rudder), relax the back pressure, come back on the power and then fly the aircraft out the bottom. I'm guessing there is more than one way to recover from a stall?

Grace and Peace,

[Ray Tackett]

Cessna 150, 152, and 172, as well as Stearman, will stop spinning and leave you in a dive unless you maintain "pro spin" control pressure. They will stop smartly and on a pilot-intended heading with use of opposite rudder, but the difference is not substantial. This is NOT necessarily true for other types.

Stall recovery for these types is similar. Just lower the nose to somewhere around the horizon. Add power to speed recovery and mimize altitude loss.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

In addition to what Ray says (which is the way it works practically), the "book" method is power to idle, neutralize ailerons, full rudder opposite the direction of spin, brisk forward control, when until rotation stops neutral rudder, recover from the resulting dive.

[Tom Charlton]

In addition to what Ray says (which is the way it works practically), the "book" method is power to idle, neutralize ailerons, full rudder opposite the direction of spin, brisk forward control, when until rotation stops neutral rudder, recover from the resulting dive.

Hi Scott,
Yup, for the most part. How ‘some ‘ever . . . I like to point out that spin recovery is / can be very aircraft specific. I never flew the Piper Tomahawk, but my understanding is: you need to be –very- aggressive with the forward control part to break the stall.

Also:
Bunch of aircraft placarded “intentional spins prohibited”

Furthermore:
I been told: Most legacy light twins are great spinners . . . you can wiggle the controls all the way to the smoking hole<ng>. Believe it’s much to do with mass distribution. ie: engines and fuel way out from the CG.
With lot’s of time in 300 and 400 series Cessnas was never tempted to sample this flight mode.

And then there was:
Harold Johnson: Stunt Flying, (not to be confused with aerobatics) the Ford Tri motor . . . including spins! http://goldenageofaviation.org/fordking.html

Regards,
Tom Charlton (who may have lost a few thousand feet in a spin or three)

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Hi Scott,
Yup, for the most part. How ‘some ‘ever . . . I like to point out that spin recovery is / can be very aircraft specific. I never flew the Piper Tomahawk, but my understanding is: you need to be –very- aggressive with the forward control part to break the stall.

Also:
Bunch of aircraft placarded “intentional spins prohibited”

Furthermore:
I been told: Most legacy light twins are great spinners . . . you can wiggle the controls all the way to the smoking hole<ng>. Believe it’s much to do with mass distribution. ie: engines and fuel way out from the CG.
With lot’s of time in 300 and 400 series Cessnas was never tempted to sample this flight mode.

And then there was:
Harold Johnson: Stunt Flying, (not to be confused with aerobatics) the Ford Tri motor . . . including spins! http://goldenageofaviation.org/fordking.html

Regards,
Tom Charlton (who may have lost a few thousand feet in a spin or three)

Hi Tom -- What I gave was the book answer for the aircraft Bill asked about, the 172. Yes, different airplanes differ in recovery technique. Best to read the book......

[Bill Bridges]

Hi Tom -- What I gave was the book answer for the aircraft Bill asked about, the 172. Yes, different airplanes differ in recovery technique. Best to read the book......

Scott,

I'm sure you folks are correct on the spin recovery. What I seem to remember was neutralizing the rudder, but that may have been more to get the aircraft to recovery on a specific heading (or attempt in my case).

I did bump my head up on Fuller since then. ROFL

Grace and Peace,

[Patty Haley]

Many moons ago, I was at a scholarship award dinner in Northern California. Amelia Reed ( Reid Hillview Aviation) got up and explained the difference even between a spin recovery in a C-150 vs. a C-152. Like my father said, "Go by the book and you wont get hurt." Or like my first flight instructor , Dave Perunko told me, " Fly like I teach you and you won't get killed."

[Bill Bridges]

Many moons ago, I was at a scholarship award dinner in Northern California. Amelia Reed ( Reid Hillview Aviation) got up and explained the difference even between a spin recovery in a C-150 vs. a C-152. Like my father said, "Go by the book and you wont get hurt." Or like my first flight instructor , Dave Perunko told me, " Fly like I teach you and you won't get killed."

Patty,

I learned to fly in the military (Army), not to be confused with the Air Force. ROFL

After I soloed I flew with a different instructor on every training flight. Some highlights were the IP who recommended me for my Instrument check ride had never flown with me. I'm not sure he even knew who I was. Head-shaking mode.

The most interesting thing was the night cross country was suppose to be with an IP. No IP for me, just told to follow that blinking light in front of me and be careful.

As you can tell I was pretty much self taught so I tend to confuse what I was told and what I figured out on my own (not recommended).

I only wish I could have had Capt. Sohn and Capt. Deakin as my instructors. That would have been special.

Grace and Peace,

[Randy Sohn]

Deakin as my instructors.

Chuckle, couple'a things here, you didn't mention the Niiiigggggghhhhvvveee (Hi, Capt. Duzlebury & the Spooker <g>).

And, to be serious for a moment here, I gotta give John a call, been worried about him and several other ole pals out there in California!

best, randy

[Randy Sohn]

the night cross country

"Geez, Louise", there you done went again and reminded me about my first night X-country at Spence down in GA. Solo in a T-6, IIRC went across the Okefenoke swamps and you can prolly well imagine the b-a-d thoughts this N.W. Iowa farm kid was having imagining all those big snakes and stuff down there below. Anyhow, I'd forgotten to dim the rear cockpit's lights and I dang near bailed out when I got the orange lighted Waycross marker beacon in the canopy's reflection. Then I finally realized that it was flashing/blinking that orange light in Morse code.

And that one also caused me to recall when fellow cadet Phil Schick went on his first day solo cross country, Phil had remembered that old adage to "never turn early, fly on a few extra minutes to see if you get there and see your checkpoint since mem'be your G/S calculations were a little bit off". So Phil flew on until he saw the whole horizon from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock filled with the Atlantic Ocean and he landed to see where he was? My IP went over to Jacksonville NAS to bring him back home later that day.

In cadets we always wore shoulder boards and I heard that those USN guys weren't sure of who/what was flying that yellow T-6 (SNJ) when he got parked.

best, randy

[Tom Charlton]

As you can tell I was pretty much self taught so I tend to confuse what I was told and what I figured out on my own (not recommended).

Hi Bill,

Y’know, truth be known, may’ve learned much of it on our own. Instructor along to make suggestions and keep us from hurt’n ourselves till we get it figured out<grin>. Ain’t no tell’n –all that- I never did figure out. Dang sure have forgotten a bunch in the interim though<ng>

I only wish I could have had Capt. Sohn and Capt. Deakin as my instructors. That would have been special.

Now ain’t that the ever love’n truth!

Regards,
Tom Charlton (who’s hoping if he avoids too many shenanigans with the his Cub he’ll survive a while longer<g>)

[Terry Carraway]

I have to go pull the book off the shelf.

But there is a book, Flight Unlimited, by Eric Muller. He was a Swiss aerobatic pilot with an impressive record.

In his book, he postulates a simple spin recovery that he claimed worked in all aircraft he had tried it with.

[Bill Bridges]

Now ain’t that the ever love’n truth!

I could learn more about airplanes and flying over a cup of coffee with Capt. Sohn and Capt. Deakin than I could in a thousand hours on my own.

Grace and Peace,

[Tom Charlton]

I could learn more about airplanes and flying over a cup of coffee with Capt. Sohn and Capt. Deakin than I could in a thousand hours on my own.

Hi Bill,
Having read all or most of JD’s excellent writings on engine operations, I was privileged to meet him during one of the seminars in Ada, OK. Also been able to spend some quality time with Randy in Minneapolis and Duluth.
Not only do they both know more bout aviat’n than I ever did, but are also a couple of the nicest folks you could ever meet.

Bill, assuming we have another sigig up in Duluth, or wherever, please attend.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Patty Haley]

Patty,

I learned to fly in the military (Army), not to be confused with the Air Force. ROFL

After I soloed I flew with a different instructor on every training flight. Some highlights were the IP who recommended me for my Instrument check ride had never flown with me. I'm not sure he even knew who I was. Head-shaking mode.

The most interesting thing was the night cross country was suppose to be with an IP. No IP for me, just told to follow that blinking light in front of me and be careful.

As you can tell I was pretty much self taught so I tend to confuse what I was told and what I figured out on my own (not recommended).

I only wish I could have had Capt. Sohn and Capt. Deakin as my instructors. That would have been special.

Grace and Peace,

Bill, I'll bet you that similar situations are true for most of us in reality. It really is true that we how much we learn is by how much we educate ourselves too. Sure is helpful to have expert and wise advise though.

Patty