The ‘Spin Doctor’ and the Art of the Spin

Spins are not as scary or dangerous as some pilots make them out to be.

Friday, August 12, 2022 at 02:33 PM ET

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The lack of instructional knowledge when it comes to spins is common, says Rich Stowell, aka “The Spin Doctor.” [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

In the U.S., only initial CFI certificates require spin training, contributing to a generational loss of spin expertise among instructors and the perpetuation of fear regarding the maneuver.
Spin recovery techniques are not universal; while PARE is common, specialized methods exist for some aircraft, and using an incorrect recovery (e.g., Beggs/Mueller in an unsuitable plane) can be fatal.
Historically, spins were a standard maneuver for private pilots until 1949 when they were removed from requirements, leading to the current emphasis on stall avoidance rather than spin recovery, and pilots must always confirm their aircraft's spin certification via placards and the POH.

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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.