Debunking Glider Spoiler Turns Causing Spin Thinking

NOTE: Entering a stall/spin does not require the airbrakes being extended, nor does having them extended increase the likelihood of a stall/spin (because we all know that stall speed increases when they are extended).

In 10 years of flying gliders in the U.S. in everything from 2-33's, 1-26's, Blaniks, Grobs, Krosnos, Discus, PW-6, Duo Discus, Pegase, HpH304, ASG-32 and others with a wide variety of instructors at a wide variety of soaring sites, whether flying with me or giving a pre-flight checkout, the only mention of airbrake use during landing I ever heard from a CFI-G was to check them on downwind to ensure they were working. This started when I was a student with my first glider flights. I have and do use the airbrakes during landing (including during my biennial checks and area checkouts with no comments from any CFI-G about this) - in downwind, base, and final - in all these gliders with no adverse effects. The basic training mantra was airspeed, airspeed, airspeed, along with coordinated turns and TLAR) - the airbrakes were secondary and used to control rate of descent regardless of position in pattern to help maintain TLAR - and that was what I was taught, and how I use them - (and that does not require much use once the pattern is established (but there are those gusty, shear laden days with surprises ...)). Position in the pattern is not a factor - airspeed, coordinated turns, and TLAR were the gospel preached to me. There are times to come in high and get down fast, and times to come in low and hold off - the airbrakes are an integral part of handling a variety of (out)landing situations - but all depend on maintaining adequate airspeed, and coordinating turns.