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:

During the Vietnam War, the author, an Air Force electronics engineer, learned to fly, crediting Major Auger's rigorous instruction on stall avoidance and emergency recovery for instilling a crucial "push forward" reflex.
This ingrained reflex proved life-saving in two separate in-flight emergencies: an uncontrolled spin during a stall practice and being inverted by a B-52's wake turbulence at low altitude, from both of which the author instinctively recovered by pushing the aircraft's nose down.
Based on these experiences, the author recommends that pilots respond to any in-flight surprise by first aiming the nose downward and suggests that beginning students receive actual 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.