Wow, I cant believe this thread is still going, thanks to you all for your replies. I'm glad foxmouth elaborated on the spinning part of the post.
I am interested in this part of the post:-
Quote:
I am still terrified of spinning the aeroplane as I genuinely thought of giving up after ex11...I didn't enjoy that one!
I would like to know what aircraft you did your spinning in and how you did it - many people who have this reaction I find have done spinning in aircraft that are not really suitable such as C152 or Pa28 or an instructor who uses the technique that results from learning on these aircraft, by this I mean that they pull hard into the entry then have a rushed patter before the aircraft recovers by itself - do spinning on a proper spinning aircraft with a good instructor and it is a far more relaxed affair and few people come away terrified.
This was done in a C152 and like you said it was a hard pull back then it quite dramatically fell to the left and all I could see was the ground going round in circles. I don't know if it was a spin or a spiral dive but my instructor applied right rudder, yoke forward then power when it levelled off. It felt like the worst rollercoaster you've ever been on.
When Gertrude mentioned the base to final bit -
Don't student spin accidents usually involve screwing up the turn from base to final? So it hardly matters what sort of spin it is, or which recovery method works, as there isn't the height to recover?
I started searching around and couldn't believe how big a deal this is for, I assume, newish pilots and how easily it can be done. In fact any turn for that matter not just base to final.
I think if I'd have read all this before I flew solo I wouldn't have done it. My instructor obviously mentioned it along the way but probably not in a scare story sort of way so I must have put it to the back of my mind in the spur of the moment, but I think if I overshot the turn to final I would have done exactly the things you're not supposed to do; steeper bank, rudder and pitch up. I couldn't get to sleep last night for thinking about this because I could easily not be here now. I hope I'm just overthinking it and don't lose confidence but I had turns 'ticked off' but they are now very much unticked off!
I don't think I need to worry about it clicking any time soon, stalling in a turn is now my number one fear and it'll always be there in the back of my mind at every turn. I am glad it has been discussed here so thanks to everyone for opening my eyes to the danger. Guess who's dreading their next turn now? And every one after that!