Spin Training

[dmspilot00]

So long as spins are required for some certificate or rating under Part 61, it can be taught at any level.

Since the regulation says, "Spins AND other maneuvers required by the regulations for any certificate or rating" it doesn't matter. This regulation allows you to teach spins at any level regardless of whether or not they are required by a certificate or rating.

The word is "AND" and everybody is misreading it to say "such as" or "for example."

So you're all wrong! Ha!

 

[funky]

I think spin training should be required for private pilots. Like someone said, it's the mos common GA accident, so many lives could be saved by a simple training maneuver.....

I completely agree...I was taught spins as a student pilot, and to this day thank my CFI for doing so. It gives you alot of confidence knowing the limits of your aircraft, and realizing that you can go there and come back safely.

Spins should be a required part of the private certification.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Since the regulation says, "Spins AND other maneuvers required by the regulations for any certificate or rating" it doesn't matter. This regulation allows you to teach spins at any level regardless of whether or not they are required by a certificate or rating.

The word is "AND" and everybody is misreading it to say "such as" or "for example."

So you're all wrong! Ha!

Sorry. No laughter but your reading is incorrect. It's not the word "and" that makes spins into a ferinstance; it's the word "other." If it said

"Spins and [...] maneuvers required by the regulations for any certificate or rating"

you would be right.

Apparently FAA Legal also disagrees with you. Here's one from 1989, when no certificate or rating required spin training:

==================================================
Question #2
Part 91.15(d)(2) does not require the use of a parachute for spins and other flight maneuvers covered by regulations. However, since Part 61 no longer requires spin training, does this mean that parachutes must be worn when practicing spins?
Response to Question #2
Under Section 91.15(d)(2) of the FAR, a certificated flight instructor and the person receiving instruction are excepted from the requirement to wear parachutes ONLY for those maneuvers which are required by the regulations for any certificate or rating. Thus, any maneuver which is not specifically required by the regulations must be taught employing parachutes pursuant to Section 91.15(c). Therefore, since Part 61 of the FAR no longer contains a specifically worded requirement for spins, the flight instructor teaching spins is not excepted under the provisions of Section 91.15(d)(2) and both the instructor and the person receiving instruction must wear parachutes while spin training is being conducted.
====================================

 

[midlifeflyer]

I completely agree...I was taught spins as a student pilot, and to this day thank my CFI for doing so. It gives you a lot of confidence knowing the limits of your aircraft, and realizing that you can go there and come back safely..

Um. Stall spin accidents typically occur at low unrecoverable altitudes. I can truthfully say that my spin training added nothing to my prior knowedge of what causes them and how to stay away from them. What it did do was give me the confidence to let a student get into a bit of trouble during stall training, knowing that I could recover.

 

[funky]

Um. Stall spin accidents typically occur at low unrecoverable altitudes. I can truthfully say that my spin training added nothing to my prior knowedge of what causes them and how to stay away from them. What it did do was give me the confidence to let a student get into a bit of trouble during stall training, knowing that I could recover.

In my book, a pilot should be confortable with the limits of his/her airplane. Certifying someone to be a pilot when they don't even know how to control a spin is ridiculous. Yes the spin accidents typically occur at low unrecoverable altitutes. Typically. They also occur in icing conditions, clear dark nights, and a host of other scenarios. It should be mandatory training for ANY pilot.

 

[JAFI]

"Some one said that spins are the most number of GA accidents" (or something like that), well no, (off the top of my head) the most number of accidents are pilots flying in weather they or their aircraft can't handle or running out of fuel. Spins are a very small number of accidents per year. I will have to (and maybe some of you should) go to the NTSB web site and look at the latest yearly review of accident stats for numbers that are not a guess.JAFI

 

[dmspilot00]

Sorry. No laughter but your reading is incorrect. It's not the word "and" that makes spins into a ferinstance; it's the word "other." If it said

"Spins and [...] maneuvers required by the regulations for any certificate or rating"

you would be right.

Apparently FAA Legal also disagrees with you.

I think I was on a sugar high or something when I wrote that. It was written in a half-joking manner so no offense to anyone! But, this brings up the following question in my mind: why does the regulation even include the word "spins"? It seems it would just add to confusion if the intent of the regulation was to allow ONLY maneuvers required by a cert. or rating.

So assuming you are correct, the regulation is actually saying,

"Spins required by the regulations for any certificate or rating and other maneuvers required by the regulations for any certificate or rating."

It seems redundant. What is the purpose for writing the regulation in this way (a rhetorical question I suppose since obviously you didn't write it).

The only reason I could think of for the regulation having the word "spins" in it was if there were multiple types of spins and the regulations only required a certain type, but not the others, for a cert. or rating.

 

[midlifeflyer]

It seems redundant. What is the purpose for writing the regulation in this way (a rhetorical question I suppose since obviously you didn't write it).

It is redundant. I'm guessing here, but sometimes things are written in such a way as to make sure something doubtful is included. That kind of redundancy is often found in legal writing.

Spins are a special case. For a long time they were required by the FAA as part of normal flight training. They come in and go our of style. To a lot of folks, spins are not some out of outside-the-box maneuver, but are a normal procedure like stalls, chandelles, and lazy 8's. Look at the numb3er of folks who commented in this thread that every private pilot applicant should be required to do them. There's a fairly large group who feel that way.

My guess is that spins were singled out in the regulation to make sure that everyone understood that spins were one of the maneuvers covered generally by the section

 

[Chiller]

I'd like to thank Steveair and aucfi for bringing to my attention the above mentioned interpretations of the FARs concerning spin training.


Now Let's muddy the water just a little bit more:


I think what confuses the issue in the minds of many (me included) is that there are a number of diffierent types and combinations of spins; ie, positive upright, accelerated, inverted, flat and transitional etc. Now, the type of spin required by regulation for the cfi certificate is not specifically spelled out. But dialogue and instruction for performing the spin maneuver contained in the flight instructors handbook refers to a normal upright spin entered from a power-off stall with recovery techniques appropriate for the same maneuver. The PTS suggests that inspectors expect the applicant to be familiar with the "normal" upright spin. So, based on those observations, could "Spins required for Certificates & ratings include the entire menu of the spin family?

Well, I think not. But if you can make the average general aviation trainer do an inverted flat spin you probably deserve an air medal.

In addition it seems to me the FAR reads that the parachute exemption applies only to situations where a cfi is providing instruction.

So, what equipment would be required of a private pilot or commercial pilot who took a fellow private or commercial pilot up to do spins?

A parachute


How'd I do?