Spin training for US pilots?

Originally Posted by BrianM

I feel the real issue with spin training in the US has nothing to do with pilots or flight instructors but the views of the FAA itself, the availability of training locations, equipment, and placards.

The FAA does not allow anyone to do any aerobatic maneuver (defined as more than 30 degrees of pitch or 60 degrees of bank) without wearing a parachute. Since most pilots in the US are powered a/c pilots, the fbo's through which they rent generally do not have any parachutes. The FAA allows only pilots who are in their prep dual for the CFI checkride to do spin training without wearing one. So, in short:

Almost no one has a parachute (except some glider clubs or specialized training facilities).

A lot of GA powered a/c are placarded against it (cherokees, etc.)

The a/c have gyro instruments in them and rental companies hate it when you rattle the gyro's past their limit which they say causes unnecessary wear.

So, in order to get spin training, a person has to find a specialized school to do so, most likely not in their area. Or be training for their CFI Ticket. Or borrow/buy a couple parachutes, locate an a/c not placarded against it available for rent whose owner doesn't mind, and find a CFI willing to do it in those circumstances.

Essentially the parachute rule, combined with the lack of most flight schools possessing them puts the hammer down on the availability of training for it.

If that makes sense. I asked my cfi for spin training when I was a primary student in the 90's and he had an aeronica champ available to do it in but we couldn't find any parachutes easily so it was a wash.

I'm quite sure i'll be able to get the training in a glider fairly readily as more glider clubs have parachutes available. Then again. I already weigh 240 pounds so... well, looks like i'm not going to be able to wear the thing and make front seat of a lot of gliders anyway. lol May be screwed by my own body weight now!

The story (however accurate or inaccurate it is) about spin training in the US went something like this, as I recall:

1. It was in the PTS for the checkride 50 years ago or so.
2. The FAA and Manufacturers asked a bunch of CFI's what they wanted to see in a new training a/c back in the early 70's.

3. The CFI's said they wanted something more fuel efficient than a Cherokee and newer than the cessna 150. And they wanted something that wasn't so docile and that could be spun much easier. They felt this gave a student a training a/c that behaved more like the rest of the GA fleet in a spin.

4. Piper stepped up to the plate and created the Tomahawk

5. A bunch of people fell to their doom for various reasons.

6. The FAA just before this or after decided to pull it from the Test Standards or training requirements and replace it with 'stall/spin awareness.'

At least that's more or less the general story i've heard over the years.

I wish they'd bring it into the training requirements. I wish there were more options to rent an a/c to do it in. And I also wish it didn't require a parachute.