Every aircraft is slightly different, and the Pitts is most surely different
from the Decathlon. Looking in the NTSB database from 1983 to 2001, I see19
fatal spin accidents in the Pitts and only 4 in the Decathlon. Source data:
http://www.iac-chapter11.net/Fatal_A..._Accidents.htm

The Decathlon POH states that both rudder and stick input are required for
spin recovery. Can't remember the exact wording, but the basic gist was to
apply opposite rudder and anti-stall elevator at the same time.

Dave Swartz wrote an article on "unrecoverable spins", based on some spin
modes he encountered in a Decathlon. He described several instances where
he encountered rudder blanketing and was unable to slow the rotation. Both
pedals were "soft". Moving the stick back to neutral increased his rudder
effectiveness and allowed him to recover. As I recall, the spins he
described were inverted, flat, and accelerated. The link to the article,
and to Dave's website, doesn't work anymore; not sure why.

In my own limited experience, I found my Decathlon to be a bit reluctant to
spin inverted, and to quickly recover as soon as pro-spin inputs are
relaxed. For upright spins, I use the standard opposite rudder to stop
rotation, then stick to break stall, and it has worked every time so far.

Obviously the original poster shouldn't be seeking inverted spin instruction
over the internet. However, if he is just nervous about learning positive-G
acro without having had inverted spin instruction, that's not really too big
a worry. For any kind of blown maneuver in the Decathlon, just neutralize
all controls and let the nose fall through. Neutral controls will stop most
every incipient stall/spin in the D.



"Rick Macklem" wrote in message
om...
(Guenther Eichhorn) wrote in message
...
One important comment: DO NOT pull the stick back before the rotation
has stopped.
This is very dangerous since first you will accelerate the spin, and
then it may
get you in a cross-over spin, meaning you transition from an inverted
spin to an
upright spin, with the airplane rolling in the same direction, but
yawing in the
opposite direction. To recover from that, you now need to use the
opposite
rudder. If you don't notice that you have crossed over, you will more
than likely
not get out of the spin. A good friend of mine friend of mine died in
exactly
that situation.

My only concern with the about statement is that I'm not sure all
airplanes
will stop spinning without pulling the stick aft. (I recall in an inverted
spin in a Decathlon, I had to give it a little extra pull through neutral
to
get it to pop out. I've been told that Beggs-Mueller doesn't always work
for
the inverted spin in a Decathlon, which suggests some aft stick is
required
to stop rotation.)

I believe Sammy Mason's version is:
- Full rudder opposite to the yaw (he says opposite to the spin, which
I've
always found confusing for inverted spins)
pause
- then pull the stick smoothly back through neutral

In the three types I've done them in (Pitts, Decathlon, Extra), I never
needed
full aft stick. Of the 3, the Decathlon seemed to need the most aft stick
to get
it to pop out. (It's been a long time since I flew a Pitts, but I recall
it
recovering almost instantly and the Extra seems to come out easily,
although I
haven't sat there will full opposite rudder and full forward stick to see
if it
stops before any aft stick movement.)

ALWAYS first stop the yaw, then use the elevator however necessary.

Yes, I think that is a better way to put it. (And I think you'd agree that
it's
not the same as waiting for the spin to stop before moving the elevator.)

rick