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Old 23rd Sep 2008, 20:52
  #47 (permalink)  
Chimbu chuckles

Grandpa Aerotart
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Skycatcher like 404, and I suspect a few other ex Instructors, I had a similar experience teaching spins in a C150 back in the mid 80s. Entered at 4000' and recovered under 500', and probably closer to 200', agl.

I tried letting everything go as soon as it was obvious the normal recovery method wasn't working..I sat there for 3 turns waiting for it to recover. It didn't and everything I could think of after that didn't work either...I tried every combination of aileron/power/elevator and rudder, holding each for a couple of turns...and then something I was told never to do 'worked'. Perhaps I leaned forward as I slammed the control wheel to the fwd stop and that is what actually broke the stall. I'll certainly never know for sure.

My student had actually been signed out for solo spinning, by me, some weeks before and I had showed him the 'let everything go' method then. We were only doing a spin this day because he wanted to do one for fun. As the wing dropped he applied out spin aileron which may have aggravated the spin but I had corrected that before we were half way around the first turn and he released the controls so I held it in for a few more turns before applying opposite rudder and easing the stick forward. It just spun faster and faster and faster - you'd be amazed how fast the little Cessna spins when you get up around 15 turns. Years before when I was a Student just signed out for solo spins I read in the POH 'The spin characteristic changes after 6 turns' and wondered how it changed - so the next solo trip to the training area I held it in a spin for 8 turns. It just spun faster but still recovered in the manner 152s are rightly famous for. I handed the aircraft to the engineers after we landed and they found no fault. I never received a definative answer as to what happened that day.

For a long time after the thought of my student spinning into the ground waiting for it to recover itself because I told him it would sent a shudder down my spine.

In fact the student just thought I was showing him a long spin...he didn't realise how much **** we had been in until I handed over to him as we climbed away from the ground and he noticed I was shaking. "Whats the matter?" I pointed at the altimeter and we were still under 1000' in an area that was around 300-500' amsl.

As a funny aside he rang me at home a fews days later to thank me for saving his life. "Sorry mate, I was saving mine - you just happened to be there to see it"

Meuller - Beggs is not a 100% money back guarantee.
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