Register

I Learned About Flying From That: Hands-Off Spin Recovery

Spin recovery Art by Barry Ross
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A student pilot experienced two unexpected spins during solo departure stall practice because he incorrectly left 20 degrees of flaps extended, leading to an accelerated stall.
  • The Cessna 150 proved to be a stable and forgiving aircraft, recovering from both spins automatically when the pilot released the controls, as his instructor had advised.
  • The pilot learned the critical importance of proper aircraft configuration for specific maneuvers and that higher altitudes provide a crucial safety margin for reaction and recovery during air work.
See a mistake? Contact us.

JUNE 2010 — THE SKY WAS CLOUDLESS and the air crisp as I drove to the Ann Arbor, Michigan, airport on a glorious spring morning. I’d flown almost 30 hours as a student pilot and had no idea I was about to experience my first spin while flying alone in my flight school’s aged Cessna 150 trainer.

I never enjoyed practicing slow flight and stalls, but I knew I had to understand how an airplane flew at the edge of its performance envelope. So today I was going to practice departure and approach stalls on my own.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE