Hi Eric

Sorry to be obscure - I think we actually agree entirely.
Follow the standard procedure until the spin stops.

I am sure you are way more experienced than I. So - free opinion and
worth every cent you paid.

Aviate first comment applies to thinking all the time - rather than
applying rote process.

In my experience - It helps to always try to have the objective in mind
when you do something in the cockpit.
In a departure from controlled flight, that is turning into "something"
the first thing to do is to correct the condition that caused the
departure. In the instances we were discussing that is a stalled wing.
If your primary objective is to un-stall the wing then, again in my
limited experience, the manual on a flapped ship says something along
the lines of "reduce the flap setting".

So my thinking is first move flaps to neutral or negative as indicated.
This will reduce AoA, and MAY arrest the departure.

Then one should assess what the aircraft is actually doing.

If and only if you are simultaneously rotating about all three axes with
relatively stable speed and the G force is not increasing and the other
indicators unique to the type of aircraft you are flying indicate that
you are in fact spinning - then the logical thing to do is to initiate
the standard spin recovery.

If you are in a steeply descending turn with airspeed increasing and
experiencing elevated G load, you are probably in a spiral dive.

If you are - like Bruno - simply in a bit of a slip, with one wing low
and airspeed and control normal, well straighten up and fly right.

In the vast majority of gliders the reduction in AoA from flap change
will arrest the departure. The aircraft may be at an unusual attitude,
but it is fully under control. (as was the case in the video)

Following a rote spin recovery in this situation is irrational , and
with a flapped ship it may be especially dangerous. Many gliders will
accelerate rapidly enough that - especially if you have not reduced the
flap setting - you will exceed limiting speed for the aircraft
configuration and damage something. In at least two cases I have seen
this was at least a contributory factor in a fatality.

Therefore I advocate - first reduce AoA, by changing flap - that way you
have taken the action most likely to recover with the minimum
disturbance and very importantly, you have configured your aircraft for
the possible / probable high speed that will eventuate if you do have to
recover from a fully developed spin or spiral dive. And then continue
with the rest of the standard recovery process until the spin is arrested.

Again I think we agree - the critical point for me is that in a flapped
aircraft the flaps should be the first control input, and that the
result of each input should be assessed lest you do something
inappropriate to the circumstances simply because it is the next action
on the standard recovery procedure.

As a thought - consider what might have happened with Bruno if he had
immediately centralised the controls without changing flap first.
--
Bruce Greeff
T59D #1771