As of this writing, the only pilot certificate in the U.S. that requires spin training is the initial CFI certificate. For private pilots, spin training consists of theory—what causes a spin, what to expect from the aircraft in a spin, and how to get out of the spin, per the instructions in the pilot’s operating handbook. The POHs of most light training aircraft reference the NASA-approved PARE technique. The acronym stands for:
- Power off
- Ailerons neutral
- Rudder in the opposite direction of rotation
- Elevator to neutral
Spin recovery is not universal—in the Cirrus for example, the recovery is activation of the ballistic parachute—and in certain high-performance aerobatic airplanes, such as the Pitts Special, spin recovery is accomplished using the Beggs/Mueller technique.
