Originally Posted by
Sunfish
I was lucky enough to find an instructor with access to an aerobatic aircraft. She built a little course for me called “low impact aerobatics for old farts” or recovery from unusual attitudes. I don’t know if it worked because I don’t try unusual positions. We finished each lesson with a spin from about 6000 to 3000. Students I think could do worse.
DjPil I think might have some good suggestions.
It is a truism that a stall/spin on the base to final is going to be fatal whatever the training. I don’t have enough experience to comment further.
When I did PPL (back in the day), the #1 fatal accident vector in light aircraft was spinning in - often from what should have been a recoverable situation. So I asked my instructor, the Ancient Mariner, to spend a couple of hours showing me spin recovery from either direction, various configurations, always allowing the spin to become fully developed. I was then able to demonstrate competence in spin recovery to the extent that he gave me a special stamp and signed a spin endorsement in my log book!
This was on the venerable (and oft-maligned PA38 Tomahawk). VH-BNT (nicknamed BENT) was a vicious bugger, a sudden left spin entry (kicked in with loads of left boot) would feel like it flipped onto its back. TBH You had to be very deliberate about getting into the spin, it was hard to see how you could do it accidentally, but people did/probably still do. The last thing I spun in was a Pitts and that was docile in comparison (albeit a lot quicker).
I think a lot of holes have to line up in the cheese to get into a spin in the circuit. For one, not monitoring airspeed, attitude and control inputs. Learning to avoid the spin is one thing, knowing not to panic and how to recover fast would be a life-saver though.