An interesting thread…
Lots of arrogance regarding the quality of ‘ex military’ pilots here - Mr Cubes… I have sat along side many a ‘ex military’ (some fast jet, some not) co-pilots in big shiny aeroplanes … I can assure you that it is no guarantee of quality; some are aces and others ‘you wouldn’t want to leave in charge of your grandmother’s wheel chair’! (Sometimes proved by repetitive failure of the company command course!)
There are good and bad from all backgrounds. Some of the finest aerobatic instructors are from civil flying backgrounds; one particular White Waltham based gentleman springs to mind.
How many ex-military fast jet pilots have been past or present British Aerobatic Champions, if the quality is that good this should be an easy goal to achieve???!!(Neil Williams is the only one I can think of??... He flew Canberra’s I think?)
Anyhow I’m sure all Ultimate High pilots are aces… you have to be to fly an Extra… don’t you?? (Actually you don’t it’s a very straight forward tail wheel aeroplane)
As for the Extra as a ‘spin’ trainer? It does spin very well, that’s for sure… so it should that’s its pedigree. It can also demonstrate many different forms of spin in relatively safety, like accelerated (thru unloading and/or out spin aileron), flat (adding full power) erect or inverted.
It can also demonstrate the merits of different types of recovery, like the benefit of power on recovery and in spin aileron (combined use demonstrates very rapid recovery even from the flattest of spins). But how this translates to your average GA aircraft…. Umm I’m not so sure???