On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:44:27 -0500, John Smith wrote:

"Ol Shy & Bashful" wrote in message
...
Why is it so many pilots are afraid of stalls? I see it over an over
when doing flight reviews and checks. Why are pilots so afraid of
flying in the low end of the speed envelope? Isn't that where the
nasty things can happen? Isn't that where a pilot should be
comfortable and competent?

I never had a fear of stalls, slow flight, or any other maneuvers. My
instructors made sure I was well aquatinted with every phase of
flight before turning me loose.

What do you think?
Its a loaded? question and comes from a 24,000+ hour pilot and active
instructor. I'd really like to see some active discussion on this
subject. I'm tired of seeing aircraft damaged by sloppy flying, and
even more tired of seeing people injured by same.
Got any comments?



I think it has to do with the fear of entering a spin and the fact that
a majority of pilots have never received spin training.
Compound that with students having only to demonstrate an "incipient"
stall, and not a full stall.

I think most of them around here do for real stalls and learn to
recognize the onset of a stall well before solo.

This all leads to fear of the unknown and the folk lore associated with
loss of control.
How many instructors teach their students that it only takes a slight
push on the yoke at the onset of buffet to prevent the stall. Too many

I'd hope they teach it only takes releasing the back pressure and not
necessarily pushing. It shouldn't take long to learn the feel of the
stall and recovery. Each plane is a little different, but not that
much different.

pilots shove the yoke much farther forward (into a descent) than is
necessary.
Even the Deb which has some pretty abrupt stall characteristics only
takes an easing off of the back pressure. (and a lot of rudder when
gear and flaps are down)


First: I'm not advocating the following without an instructor's
blessings. It depends on the instructor and individual student. On my
second solo flight I spent about an hour and a half doing steep
turns, S-turns, turns around a point, slips, and full stalls. (app,
dep and accelerated) IOW I practiced everything I had to do to get
that far.

I think only exposing students to incipient stalls does them a
disservice. With *proper* preparation and exposure stalls and slow
flight should be a non issue.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com