I didn’t do any spin training during my basic PPL training. I only got to do them during the difference training on the Yak, and actually enjoyed the experience, although I have yet to try flat and inverted spins.
The other thing I had to do was fully developed stalls in all configurations. The stall on a left turn with gear and flaps down was the most gut-wrenching experience I have had, as a combination of wing drop and torque rolled the aircraft through 90 degrees, leaving it semi-inverted. To have to quickly kick in rudder to bring up the wing and add power, then wait for enough speed to build up to avoid a secondary stall was a much more realistic exercise than initiating a spin as you were never sure exactly when the wing would drop. After five or six my stomach had had enough!
I was glad we carried all this out at 7000 feet, as the prospect of it happening at 700 feet does not bear thinking about.
In my experience, an awful lot of people go straight from PPL to IMC without doing much in between. Aerobatic training (including spinning) helps you recognise and deal with unusual attitudes. I think IMC training would also benefit from a little basic aerobatics as well as limited panel and instrument flying.
To spin … or not to spin. Yes, definitely!
YR
Sign In
