Originally Posted by
Big Pistons Forever
/\ What he said. Unless you are deliberately doing glider aerobatics in a certified aerobatic glider and have the appropriate training, keeping pro spin controls in after the departure from controlled flight has no use in conventional gliding. It also as was mentioned, is negative training. IMO the most useless exercise in glider training is when the Instructor says "show me a one turn spin". Spin training both during initial and recurrent training should be scenario based on how glider pilots get into trouble in the real world. The recovery should be started as soon at the break and performance is measured on how quickly normal controlled is regained and on how little altitude lost. The muscle memory you want to develop is the instinctive stick forward ailerons neutral control yaw with rudder at the moment the glider starts to depart from controlled flight.
Couldn't agree more with your post overall and certainly scenario orientated. That said, and I'm not being contentious, I also feel a one turn spin entry and recovery demonstration has it's merits when an instructor is assessing a pupil irrespective of whether this is for initial or recurrent training.
My rationale for this is for the instructor to be able to monitor the process from start to finish which is beneficial for both parties and certainly for the debrief.
Aerobatics are fine, if, as you say, the pilot is fully trained / authorised as is the aircraft but given spinning has a well established notoriety to kill even experienced pilots, then why would anybody risk doing them just for the sake of doing so. There are plenty of other ways to demonstrate good airmanship and flying skills without participating in an inherently dangerous action just for the " bravado" of doing so.