Unusual attitude recoveries

[rfresh]

When Lockheed sold their L-1011 TriStar to British Airways many years ago, they had to certify the TriStar for deep stalls. So, the company test pilots took N1001 up (the first Tristar built and used exclusively for flight testing) and deep stalled it.

Satisfied with the handling, they invited the FAA aboard to fly some so they could get it certified. During one of the many FAA flown deep stalls, a wing dropped and the FAA pilot was unable to pick it up in time. The TriStar continued it's roll to the inverted attitude and the pilot just made a split-S out of it and pulled it out of the resulting dive.

He pulled over 3 g's on the airframe and lost about 15,000 feet (they started at 25,000 feet). The airplane was hangered for a month while they checked the entire airframe for any cracks, etc.

The FAA certified it but the FAA pilot never flew deep stalls in the TriStar again.

 

[Lead Sled]

I flew with a check airman years ago that gave me some advice in this department. He said, "Martinis are like womens breasts, one isn't enough, and three is too many!"

Probably some of the best advice given.:laugh:

Hmmm....
I was told that if you've seen one of them you've seen 'em both.

'Sled

 

[pilotpat]

Hmmm....
I was told that if you've seen one of them you've seen 'em both.

Hopefully.......if not - that would give me an unusual attitude :laugh: