I suspect Mike's first point is correct, in the UK at least. Annual checks
for all club members have started at my club, and our Puchacz will probably
spend as much time between now and April spinning as in normal flight. UK
Puchacz's spent a lot of time in autorotation.

I have no doubts when spinning the aircraft because it behaves exactly as it
should - plenty of pre-spin warnings (in normal modes of entering a spin),
and immediate recovery if you carry out the proper recovery procedures.
Sensible procedures (like our rule of no intentional spins below 1500 ft)
are a good idea.

It's also very good for learning and teaching reasons not to do certain
things - once a pilot has discovered that a spin from a failed winch launch
occurs without the standard warning signs, it really reinforces the message
not to begin maneouvering before flying speed has been regained.

My view, based on my own experience and the reactions of student pilots at
my club, is that the best approach is to become so familiar with spinning
that one's reaction to an unintended spin is not "Oh ****" + panic, but
instead, "Oh dear, a spin, now fix it".

Last year I was flying my new (well, 1968) Open Cirrus, and decided to check
out its spin characteristics. When I performed the recovery procedure, it
didn't work! Instead of panic, I remember thinking "Hmm, can't have done
that right, do it again" - I discovered I wasn't using full opposite rudder
because the rudder loads were substantially higher when spinning. At height
was a good time to find this out, rather than low down in an unintentional
spin. If I hadn't undergone formal spin recovery refresher training every
year since I started flying, I doubt whether I'd have spun the Cirrus
intentionally. Of course, I might never spin it unintentionally, but I do
now feel rather happier knowing its quirks in the recovery.

I'd be far less happy fitting the spin kit to a K21 and spinning that - from
what I read this "unspinnable" glider has some interesting recovery
characterics. And anyway, it's not unspinnable in standard configuration -
our lightest instructor with a light student (still within weight limits)
has spun ours!



"Mike Borgelt" wrote in message
...
On 23 Jan 2004 07:34:04 GMT, Chris Rollings
wrote:
Spinning in in the Puchacz would seem to be a far higher risk than
aerotow upsets due to using a belly release. With 5 in the UK alone
maybe someone ought to look into this.

A few years ago two test pilots with extensive spin experience
including in gliders managed to kill themselves in a Puchacz spin in
the US. At the time that was the 13th or 14th case allegedly and there
was one more in Austria shortly after that.


Either the type is involved in lots of deliberate spinning accidents
because a lot of this is done in them or there is something odd about
it.

In either case there is cause for concern.

I've flown the Puchacz but I sure wouldn't even think about spinning
one.


Mike Borgelt