I agree, Sunfish and 43Inches, I have been with students attempting a straight stall and suddenly entering a spin with significant loss of height. Sunfish, my guess is that it was not an inverted spin - a "flick" entry into an upright spin will have the aeroplane on its back initially.

I thought the thread was about the regulatory issue, not what was safe and/or smart. VH-XXX seems to have pointed to CASA's view of the convoluted words in the current regs.

Actually DJP, I was just editing that post and deleted it by accident. I was incorrect, the VFG does not suggest 3,000 ft for stalls, but talks about Acrobatic flight. Where we always "land" on this issue, is that a stall can quickly become "acrobatic" flight and for acrobatic flight we must be at 3,000 ft (unless exempted) so therefore, you are in theory legally tempting fate by conducting stalls below 3,000 ft AGL.

The regs don't specify a minimum height for straight and level unaccelerated stalls, this is true. What is the motive behind this thread though, to mandate they impose a minimum, or a student trying to save a few bucks and argue with their instructor, or are there instructors out there scaring students at low level and the students are asking for advice on the actual rules.

Imposing a minimum is type specific, so one altitude can't be deemed safe for all. Recover by 3000ft is a good starting point as you have lots of room if it gets worse than anticipated. You also run into problems if you mandate no stalls below 3000ft and your aircraft requires it to land. I will add a well trained competent pilot can stall and recover with very little height loss safely without much chance of an adventure in an aircraft he is familiar with. In the case with most flying schools/colleges in Australia the normal situation is unfamiliar/inexperienced pilots being taught how to fly, operating close to the stall with these students can result in very rapid loss of control.

Saving cash during training is more about smart planning and study than 10 minutes climbing on one or two lessons.

I have heard of instructors performing manuevres such as stalls at low level and almost coming to grief, scaring the student and the student reporting it. Its not worth it from an instructors point of view, whilst you are on board and even to a point whilst the student is solo you are responsible.

VH-XXX, you should've provided the full extract from the VFG as that bit about stalls not being aerobatics "for the purposes of the above" I guess means what it says i.e. for the purposes of the above only. i.e. you can do stalls IFR, at night and you can do them in a normal category aeroplane.

Under the heading of aerobatics per CAR 155 it specifically mentions straight stalls with that specific exemption for the requirements above. It then goes on to state that 3,000 ft is the minimum height.

It still seems to me that CASA's rule is 3,000 min height for straight stalls.

Easy for you to say, it won't let me copy and paste from the VFG it would seem :ok:

I believe the 3000ft thingy is just an accepted std in the industry to cover all sorts of miss-events such as to keep the A/C a min of 1000ft which covers the low flying over populous area etc as just an Eg.


Wmk2

I agree with Wally.

I also see no point in challenging the accepted standard. Many reasons have been posted here as to why this TRAINING EXERCISE could or could not be conducted at a lower altitude....for eg a DC3 needs more room...

Keep it into context..the original Q was posed for ab-initio.

I'm glider initial trained. I like many others from that genre did my spin training, not above 12-1300 agl. Theoretically I am comfortable with it.

Consider power instructors, their spin experience, is most likely limited to what they did during their rating.....99% of GFPT/PPL holders have never done a fully developed spin. Glider pilots spin every type they fly, and practice until the reaction is automatic, even in a look away situation.

I'm comfortable in spinning and stalling, but given the choice, i'll have the 3k AGL option thanks.

Student learning + Instructor that might not be comfortable...all the room we can get regardless of the dollars

I understand that NZ Regulations require 1500 ft agl as the minimum altitude for training in stall recovery. At least that is a realistic safe figure instead of the arbitrary figure used in Australian flying schools of recover by 3000 ft. I suppose its nice to be cautious just in case a student happens to stuff up on the recovery but where do you stop? Why not 5000 ft just in case a student really stuffs up. Better still why not wear a back pack parachute for stalling if it is that dangerous...

Very good points on the stall training with different scenarios.

Even now, very experienced pilots are still getting caught out with departure from controlled flight. Some airshow pilots, among them.

I like to look at it this way.

Low altitude: speed is your friend.

Low speed/stalling: height is your friend and plenty of it.

Money in the bank.

Nothing in the NZ rules about minimum altitudes for stalling or recovery. We used 2500' for most exercises where I was.

I had one pre-solo student put me into a RH spin onset at at 2500' (C152, full aft column, full power and a badly rebuilt wing) and another pre-cpl while doing wing-drop (full flap, with power) at 3000' (admittedly no real horizon for that one).

C152, full aft column, full power

.. why would you be doing that sort of thing ?

Especially with;

The point is helping them avoid and if needed recover from a stall in the approach config, not scare them or assist their progression into the afterlife.

Of course you would have written up that defect in the maintenance or equivalent document:E

Did you "arrange" the wing-drop by a cunning push on a rudder pedal at the point of stall? :E Or did the wing really seriously drop with full flap and power on. For certification requirements, the maximum wing drop permitted during the stall is (I seem to recall) 15 degrees. Any more than that, the aircraft is considered as un-airworthy and should be grounded until the defect is fixed. Usually it is a rigging problem.

Too many instructors/pilots are happy to accept un-airworthy aircraft because they fear writing up a defect will jeopardise their employment. Or they are too casual about reporting defect. It is not enough to verbally tell someone there is a purported defect - there is a legal requirement to record it in writing on the approved maintenance document. It is fact of life that not all aircraft owners are understanding; especially when it comes to paying for additional maintenance beyond the standard schedule

The certification requirement is not applicable when the student makes incorrect or nil control movements.

A CAA Testing Officer with the initials NK based in NZCH would often have a CPL testee do a fully developed stall over the Eyrewell low flying area at 1,000' AMSL. I had an instructor stalling the aircraft on final during my CPL training. Didn't much like it but it was a good learning experience. Things look a lot different down from 3,000'.

The Aero Club President took the aerobatic aircraft (never liked the thought of having to bolt 40lbs of weight to the tail to make it spin) out one day and for some unknown reason he decided that 5,000' was where he wanted to start. He said he usually started spinning at 3,000' but not that day and as luck or fate would have it, the Beagle went into a flat spin. He said if he had started at his usual 3,000' he would not have recovered in time and be recounting the story.

As for the 3,000' being a "fund raiser" for the flying school; I often used the clime to practise climbing turns, compass turns or wear the hood and log I/F time. Not a waste at all IMO.

I have heard of an instructor who did this down to around 50 or 100ft in PA28s, used to demonstrate it as a way to lose height, can be done and has been done. What is the problem is inexperienced pilots with much less ability see this and copy it. The blokes who show off these manuevres have experience and some knowledge of when and when not to do it, they don't usually pass that part on after the demo. The students who witness the event then have a go and usually stuff it up. Instructors need to be leaders and keep things simple and to the point, even doing something and then saying "I'm experienced and can do that". leads a student to thinking maybe 10 hours I can do that on my 2nd solo etc... Do you specify how much experience is enough to bust a limit? Even on a simple navex diverting cautiously rather than pushing on may save the life of your student in the future, showing them how you pushed on and upgraded to IFR doesn't help.

"C152, full aft column, full power

.. why would you be doing that sort of thing ?"

"Quote:
C152, full aft column, full power

.. why would you be doing that sort of thing ? Especially with;


Quote:
a badly rebuilt wing
The point is helping them avoid and if needed recover from a stall in the approach config, not scare them or assist their progression into the afterlife."

Arghhhh.

It wasn't taught or deliberate, I included it as an example of how a student could mis-handle the exercise and how other factors could come into play. We still would have had spin entry with the column and power situation, just the badly rebuilt wing made the aircraft go right rather than left so the conditioned rudder didn't help.

Because of the wing the aircraft was actually good later for more advanced students as it meant they actually had to pay attention rather than resond by rote.

And you're right, it took a while for that student to regain some confidence.

Just a note- a couple of posters have mentioned NZ rules.

Whilst no reputable country legislates for min. height for stalling, the NZ Flt Instructor Guide does recommend a minimum height of 2500'. A flying school minimum of 1500', dual only, is not uncommon.

When I was conducting renewals a few years ago, Mr CAA (JP) told me that failing to conform with the FIG without a well considered reason would be grounds for failure. So it was, sort of, a rule.

Dear oh dear, on so many levels! Now I remember why I gave up flight examining and became a humble FO.

On the subject of prestall sink at low altitude I used to watch in awe as Fletcher topdressing/AG aircraft pilots used this to great effect. The a/c not only looked like a brick, with barn doors attached but they dropped like bricks also, when this loss of lift technic was implemented. Fascinating to watch. However these guys were doing it day in and day out and knew what they were doing. Like a lot of maneuvers unless you're doing it as a day job great care must be taken with the added precautions! I would include FTO's/Examiner's even more so.