Turn to Final - Keeping Ball Centered

"Jim Stewart" wrote in message
.. .
My instructor carefully pointed out the difference
between a stall on final as opposed to a snap
spin.

I suspect a misuse in terminology, IMHO normal usage of the term 'snap' is
to refer to a 'snap roll' (or as the Brits would say, 'flick roll') which is
a roll performed with (loading and) rudder only and is really a spin in the
logitudinal plane or direction of flight.

A stall might be recoverable with no more
damage than a looseness of the bowels whereas
a spin could really fsk up your day.

The gist of his advice was that if you keep the
turn coordinated or even add a little extra
aileron, the up wing will have to come all the
way down through level before it will spin,
giving you time get the nose down and level the
wings before that spin can develop.

IMHO, a combination of stall and yaw in a decending turn (arrival stall) is
most likely to result in a spin under the bottom, where the aircraft will
enter the spin by dropping the lower or inside wing. On the other hand, a
stall combined with yaw in a climbing turn (departure stall) is most likely
to result in a spin over the top where the aircraft will enter the spin by
dropping the upper or outside wing. I suspect that you or your instructor
may be confusing the two. Your instructor is correct that most consider a
slip to be more spin resistant than a skid and some/most will maintain that
a turning slip is even more spin resistant than cordinated flight.

IMHO stall/spin awareness training should include lots of demonstrations (at
safe altitude (where recover is made @2000')) of at least incipient (and
preferably full spin) spin entry (and recovery) from both arrival and
departure stall spins and demonstrations of the circumstances likely to lead
to each.

OTOH, a flat turn to final can quickly develop
into a spin before you can get it under control.

IMHO, A flat turn is most likely to be a skid, which most consider to be the
uncoordinated condition most likely to result in a spin.

Happy landings,