On Sunday, June 2, 2013 8:53:11 AM UTC-6, Sean F (F2) wrote:
I did spin training in CA shortly after recieving my glider license. It has been very helpful for me as I have continued along with glider flight.



How many of you, US pilots, have had formal spin instruction (not one spin but half a day or more)?



Personally I am amazed that a US glider pilot can get their license without ever spinning in a glider. As I understand it, absolutely ZERO spins are required to complete you training and receive both your private or commercial rating.



That said, this great video (British I believe) was very similar to the spin instruction I received. I hope it is helpful to any pilots who have not yet had extensive spin/spin recovery training.



http://youtu.be/p8_mJmR2qlw



Just do this! It could save a life!



Sean

F2

I think only a fool would argue spin training isn't a good idea. Whether it is "necessary" is a slightly different issue.

A view in the US is risks associated with spin training are about the same as the risks avoided so there is little to be gained one way or the other. Another is teaching stall/spin avoidance is more important and, as a practical matter, more useful than teaching spin recovery. That's why Part 61 doesn't require them except for flight instructors.

In support of that view, most German gliders built in the last 25 years are quite spin resistant - so much so it is difficult to get them to spin unless the CG is quite far aft. Probably this is why accident reports show a declining number of spin accidents (We've just figured out other ways to kill ourselves.)

The exception is many gliders from Eastern Europe which tend to be more "spinnable". I wouldn't suggest anyone fly these gliders without complete spin training.

I can't leave this subject without mentioning something I've noticed reading accident report narratives. Witness descriptions of "spin-in's" seem to leave open the possibility what they really saw was a spiral dive that developed from an incipient spin. The typical wording used by witnesses was something like, "The glider entered a diving turn which continued to impact." That's not how I would describe a spin but possibly what a spiral dive would look like. The unfortunate pilot seems to have inappropriately applied anti-spin controls when he could have survived if spiral dive recovery technique had been used.

The takehome for me is to make absolutely sure students know the difference between spins and spiral dives and how to recover from each.