Why Stalling Is Every Pilot’s Worst Nightmare

Air Force veteran recounts stressful experiences from close stall calls.

Friday, March 20, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

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The author said, ‘Nothing happened for several seconds, then…wham! I was diving straight down in a violent spin. I had never seen a spin, let alone been in one.’ [Illustration: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

The author, an Air Force engineer, learned to fly in a Cessna 150 and, during solo practice, inadvertently entered a violent spin at 5,000 feet, from which he recovered by pushing the control wheel forward to regain airspeed.
His flight instructor, Major Auger, inadvertently instilled a critical habit of reacting to emergencies by first pushing the stick forward; this proved vital when the author's Piper Super Cub was unexpectedly flipped upside down by B-52 wake turbulence at 300 feet, allowing a swift recovery.
Based on his experiences, the author recommends that pilots facing any unexpected surprise should first react by aiming the nose downward and advocates for beginning students to receive practical demonstrations of spins and unusual attitude recoveries.

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During the Vietnam War, I served as an electronics engineer in the Air Force. I built and tested electronic gear for counterinsurgency warfare. I was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. I flew weekly on test flights and loved the adventure of flying in all the elderly bombers, fighters, and cargo planes.

My vision wasn’t good enough for flight training. That was probably for the best. I don’t have the fighter pilot personality. Fortunately for me, the base had a flying club equipped with a Cessna 150 for pilot training.