Stalls in a cloud?

[Alex429595]

Hi,
My friend recently told me that him and his CFI went into a cloud, and did actual steep turns and stalls. They did all kinds of manuevers like that inside the cloud. It raised some alarm bells in my mind. Is this type of thing generally done, or is it a little risky? Just wondering, im not really sure.

 

[labbats]

It depends. If there's a thin high overcast with plenty of VMC below you, then it doesn't matter. I have no problem with steep turns in IMC, but stalls can be a bit tricky. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be a problem if you were to simply break out of the clouds if your stall went bad.

It's also something you wouldn't want to do with anyone that wasn't already comfortable with IFR flying in actual weather. If he was giving a BFR to a guy who routinely flies IFR in the clouds, he'd be doing him a favor. If he was doing stalls and steep turns in IMC to someone who was working on, or just go their instrument rating, it's probably too much.

 

[cezzna]

Doing stalls in a cloud is downright stupid in my opinion. Steep turns no big deal. Remember there are limits to attitude indicators. If you drop a wing too far or begin to spin, you're f*cked until you "drop out". Tell your friend to get a new CFI. The biggest thing you have to learn is GOOD JUDGEMENT, and not assume that just because your CFI has more hours than you he/she has a clue. Same thing when you are an FO someday. You have to be able to call a jackass pilot to the carpet, if they are exercising poor judgment. There are plenty at all experience levels.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Not if you are properly proficient in "needle, ball, and airspeed".

Fly safe!

David

 

[minitour]

Not if you are properly proficient in "needle, ball, and airspeed".

Fly safe!

David

Are we talking fully developed stalls or are we talking to the horn or to the buffett?

I take all of my instrument students and IPCs into clouds for stalls, but I only let it go to the buffett at most. That and I have personal limits there too. It's got to be at least a 5,000' cieling. I want plenty of time to recover if SHTF.

I know people that have done 135 rides in IMC, icing up doing steep turns and stalls (to the horn) popping the boots every few seconds.

It can be done and it can be done safely, you just need to set limits and stick to them.

-mini

 

[Alex429595]

1.)This was this private pilot in trainings first time in IMC

2.)It was an IFR days, with low clouds

3.)As far as he described it, they were full stalls

 

[Workin'Stiff]

I remember when I was a flight instructor, doing things such as the stalls in the clouds, etc., were things I might think about doing to change things up just a bit... But now in hind sight, no way in hell... In my opinion, limit yourself to exposure... Just stick to the techniques that work... Don't go exploring for new and profound ways of getting your ticket yanked when everything heads down hill on a new teaching tactic your trying out... There are enough ways to screw up....

 

[gkrangers]

What about for an instrument student? Acceptable?

 

[cezzna]

If you take an iced up airplane to the stall horn in IMC, popping the boots every few seconds, you are a complete idiot. That is absolutely unsafe. Typical 135 mentality. I would not do that with any airplane, for any reason. I would never fly for such a ripshod outfit. Just because other morons got away with it doesn't mean it's safe. If anyone did that in my flight department they would be fired on the spot.

I'm sure there are pilots who can recover from an IMC spin using needle ball and airspeed, I'm not one of them. The guys from the old school who learned like this would probably not have problems with this technique. The modern cookie cutter CFI who usually doesn't know what the rudder pedals are for would not be proficient in this technique.

 

[Workin'Stiff]

What about for an instrument student? Acceptable?

Even for an instrument student, the prinicple task can be accomplished by doing the maneuver VMC under the hood... Personally, there are unacceptable risks involved with doing anything other than normal maneuvering while IMC.