Here you can find some great information and resources on spins and stall/spin awareness in addition to the resources on my reading list.
Flight schools and instructors desiring advanced spin instruction: See my Enhanced Spin Endorsement Course page. Learn stall/spin awareness and spin recovery/instruction at a level well beyond the national average.
Get basic to advanced spin training at Specialized Aero Works.
I recommend all pilots do at least one spin training flight. Two or more is much better though. The training is incredibly valuable. Be sure to fly in an appropriate airplane with an instructor competent in spins. When done properly, spin training should be very safe and enlightening. If nothing else, increase your stall/spin awareness knowledge as it could save your life. Mastering stall/spin awareness is fundamental to mastering flight so why would one not want to have full understanding in order to increase their abilities and level of safety? Loss of Control-Inflight (LOC-I) due to engine failures on takeoff is the one event that is killing more people than any other event. Proper preparation and training for this one emergency is arguably the most important event every pilot should learn to handle properly. I can help. Give me a call.
- Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 5. Start with this chapter on UPRT which includes spins. This will get you the basics but you need more! Continue learning with the information below.
- Twelve Stall/Spin Myths Exposed by Rich Stowell. It’s amazing how these myths keep getting passed on. Don’t be part of the problem. Read this paper excerpted from the book, The Light Airplane Pilot’s Guide to Stall/Spin Awareness by Rich Stowell.
- Spins Without Fear Article written by Rich Stowell about spin training, published on AvWeb: What is spin training, is it useful, is it safe. Here is the article in .pdf form.
- AC 61-67: Stall & Spin Awareness Training A good read for all airplane pilots. EVERY CFI Needs this in their box of CFI gouge. This AC also describes the use of parachutes when spinning better than the FAR does, although it could still be written better. Update: See the FAA interpretation on spins and parachutes (lower on this page).
- Cessna Spin Manual Spin CHARACTERISTICS of CESSNA MODELS 150, A150, 152, A152, 172, R172 & 177. Great reference so a pilot or CFI can know what to expect when spinning one of these airplane models for the first time, along with other good information.
- Cuckoo’s Guide to Stall-Spin Awareness Knowledge 1.1 This is a list of questions I have come up with to ask pilot’s and discuss concerning stall/spin awareness knowledge. All pilots should be able to easily answer these questions, in my opinion. Sadly, this is often not the case.
- ACCIDENT ANALYSIS – STALL/SPIN: ENTRY POINT FOR CRASH AND BURN? A very informative AOPA article on spins.
- Flightlab Ground School, Ch 10. Spins A more in-depth paper on spin aerodynamics.
- The Spin Debate – If spins can kill, why aren’t pilots trained to handle them? Air & Space Magazine article.
- What about those Spins Good article from Air Facts Journal
- STALL AND SPIN ACCIDENTS: KEEP THE WINGS FLYING 2017 AOPA Air Safety Institute paper discussing stall/spin accident statistics, prevention and training.
- NASA Stall/Spin Research for light general aviation aircraft.
- PARACHUTES NOT REQUIRED FOR SPIN TRAINING § 91.307(d)(2) of the FARs, which addresses parachute requirements is extremely vague in relation to spin training. Even AC 61-67, which better explains the requirement, is still not clear or often misinterpreted. This article by AOPA discusses the 2018 FAA Fitzpatrick-Spartan College interpretation which (hopefully) puts the issue to rest. In short, parachutes are not required for spin training given by a CFI.
- The Panic Pull This is something regarding human performance every pilot should know about as it relates to spin avoidance and upset recovery. Read this AOPA article to learn about the panic pull.
- Teaching Spins – JanFeb20 MENTOR Read my article on teach in spins that was published in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of NAFI’s Mentor Magazine.
The Light Airplane Pilot’s Guide to Stall/Spin Awareness
A great book by Rich Stowell. The average CFI’s knowledge of spins is quite inadequate (and they are supposed to be able to teach them!). Non-CFI’s generally know even less. This needs to change. This book is chock-full of great information on spins. Highly recommended.
Stalls, Spins and Safety
Another great book on spins. From Amazon: This practical book takes you through every maneuver from the pilot’s point of view. You will also feel as if you are riding with Sammy as he tells you what to do for every type of stall or spin you may ever face. This eBook edition has been updated from the original print publication to include new regulations and color pictures. Keeping technical details in simple to understand explanations, this clearly written book, filled with outstanding illustrations and photographs, is designed to enhance your knowledge of Stalls and Spins, and how training in this area could save your life!
Videos
Decathlon Spin Video Good video with interior and exterior views of a Decathlon spinning. A trained person can see and point out the spin characteristics of the Mighty D.
John King Spin video – King reviews the basics of stalls and spins. Provides a good basic understanding of spins. This is a good explanation for private pilots. Instructors you should be able to go beyond this level of knowledge if you want to understand spins more completely.
Stall Spin Awareness Webinar with Rich Stowell Oct 1 2015 – Excellent material presented by Rich Stowell.
Most inverted flat spins in an aircraft
Reading List Check out the other spin related readings on my reading list.
Mike Kloch Aviation Consulting 