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 electronics engineer during the Vietnam War, pursued private pilot training where his instructor, Major Auger, emphasized stall avoidance and instilled a critical "push the stick forward" reaction for emergencies.
He recounts two harrowing flight incidents: an accidental spin in a Cessna 150 at 5,000 feet and being unexpectedly inverted by B-52 wake turbulence at 300 feet, both of which he recovered from by instinctively pushing the aircraft's nose down.
The author attributes his survival in these situations to his instructor's rigorous training and recommends that pilots' initial reaction to any airborne surprise should be to aim the nose downward, also advocating for actual demonstrations of spins and unusual attitudes for student pilots.

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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.