CFI rating

[Flyguy2k8]

I know this is going to sound really dumb, but I suppose I will ask anyway.

Is there anyplace I can get my CFI rating without having to get a spin endorsement or go through spin training?

Again I know this sounds dumb, but I figured that I would ask.

 

[banned username 2]

I know this is going to sound really dumb, but I suppose I will ask anyway.

Is there anyplace I can get my CFI rating without having to get a spin endorsement or go through spin training?

Again I know this sounds dumb, but I figured that I would ask.

Trust me, if you plan on being a CFI you are going to want to have spin training... If one of your students inadvertantly puts you into a spin, you wanna know how to get out...

Spins aren't as scary as they may seem... If you do a little reading and such to better understand what is going on you will probably feel much better about them... A spin is really nothing more than a stall with some yaw added in, on most light airplanes, if you pull the power to idle and let go of the controls the plane will recover from the spin itself... All you would have to do is smoothly recover from the resultant descent/dive... Basically if you remove one of the two components of the spin (either the stall or the yaw) the spin will cease...

When I was an active CFI, I was teaching a CFI student who had gotten into a spin on a solo during his Private Pilot Training, fortunately he somehow recovered before it was too late (he isn't even sure what he did to recover, my guess is he let go of the yoke)... Anyhow, he was VERY reluctant to go up for spin training, we went out that day and I told him we could do as many spins as needed until he was very comfortable spinning in either direction... We ended up doing 21 spin entries into 2-3 turn spins... After that flight I landed and dropped him off and got his training partner and we went up and did the exact same thing... After 42 spin entries totalling over 100 revolutions (letting the student do it all) I was pretty beat to say the least... Both students went on to successfully pass their CFI checkrides and both became successful CFI's...

I also used to offer "Unusual Attitude" training to any other student who wanted it... Almost all of my Private Pilot students wanted to see it, so we would go out and do some cross-controlled stalls, well you know what that will cause... But they got to see what would happen and how to safely recover...

 

[Tinstaafl]

CFIs without spin recovery is a **bad** idea. Sooner or later a student will put you in a spin.

 

[HMR]

I was afraid of spins when I first started flying. I went to Rich Stowell's (www.richstowell.com) emergency maneuvers course and got cured. When it came time to do spins for my CFI ticket it was a walk in the park.

 

[minitour]

Spins: Probably the one part of the CFI training I'm NOT looking forward to...

I'll be anxious to fly from the right side (I suppose I better get used to THAT) and taking up a newbie on a Discovery flight...that sounds like fun...and the first solo...yeah...that'll be exciting...nerve-wracking, I'm sure...but exciting...

Spin endorsement...NOT looking forward to that...even with as many stories as I've heard about just letting go and it corrects itself (in the light Cessna Trainers)...still not my idea of a fun ride...

CFI's out there: Do you demonstrate spins/spin recovery on the checkride, or do you just do the whole "spin awareness" thing...?

-mini

 

[rumpletumbler]

They aren't as bad as they sound. Make sure you get an instructor who isn't an adreneline junkie or has disregard for the regs. I did like an hours worth of spins in a Tomahawk and my CFI wouldn't sign me off because I refused to do them with flaps extended. I believe the POH is quite clear about not doing so. Anyhow...he was a hot dog and frequently did stupid stuff. I was never comfortable flying with him and actually got out of flying for a long time because of my experience with him. He was a really poor instructor and wasn't qualified to teach but was "the only instructor" near where I lived at the time. I was young and stupid. Just don't fly with a jerk. Ok...enough ranting....have fun.

 

[Flyguy2k8]

Hey thanks a lot guys. I do understand completly and did think the same thing to myself, that I may one day end up in a spin with a student. Even myself doing power on stalls, the aircraft would start to turn to one side. Luckily I understood that applying opposite rudder would stop the turn which would eventually lead to a spin.


Once again thanks a lot!

 

[DaveJ]

Spins are fun

They're nothing to be afraid of in a typical training airplane. I've spun 150s, 172s, J3s, PA18s, and a few others. They come out if you just let go (of course, they come out faster if you use the POH recommended procedures). I used to own a C150 and would take it up to 6 or 7 thousand and spin it down to 2000 or so for fun. A 150 winds up pretty tight after about 4 turns.

You do need the training. I've had numerous students demonstrate spin entries when they were trying to do stalls (power on in particular). Each time, they hadn't a clue about what was happening or what to do about it. That's your job. Teach them how to avoid spins, but you need to know how to teach them to get out of one if it happens.

Rember, the a/c can't spin if you keep the ball centered.

 

[garf12]

My CFI did some spins with me durring my primary training. I was pretty nervous about it, but now that I have done it I sure am glad I did, because I had no idea what to expect.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I'll add to the "it's not that bad" group.

I'm not a big fan of spins. I've only done them during my CFI training (unless you count the 1/4 turn recovery I did when a student tried his best on a power on stall).

We did my CFI training spins twice. The first time my head spun more than the airplane, so even though my CFI was willing to give me the endorsement, I insisted we go up again to make sure that I was satisfied that I could demonstrate one if necessary. It was much better the second time around.

I'm no longer afraid of them, although I, still don't enjoy them. But it's an important part of CFI training - knowing how far you can let a student go and what to go if she goes too far.