User Guide

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The recovery is a one-two-three process:
In fact, the 172 is so reluctant to spin, and so eager to get
itself out of the situation, that you probably can’t hold it into a spin
for more than 4 to 6 turns before it’ll have picked up enough
speed to un-stall itself and transition into a steep spiral despite
your best efforts to keep spinning.
We’ll want plenty of altitude for this maneuver, so let’s climb
(or slew the simulator, if you’re impatient) up to 8000 feet. Once
a spin is fully developed, the airplane will come down relatively
slowly - like a sycamore seed! - but altitude loss during the entry
and recovery are faster. Cessna notes that entry, a one-turn spin,
and recovery can take up to 1000 feet - but a 6-turn spin, if you
can get the bird to keep spinning that long, takes less than 3000.
We’ll start in level cruise, with the airplane trimmed to 100-
110 knots. Even though this means you’ll have to pull pretty hard
to get the initial stall, this trim setting will make the recovery eas-
ier. Do a couple of really solid clearing turns, because it’s all
downhill from here!
The airplane spins a bit better to the left than the right,
because even at idle there’s still some spiraling propeller slip-
stream. We’ll do the first one that way. Ease the power back to idle
and pull the nose a good 15 degrees above the horizon; we want
a good, crisp stall “break” to start things off.
Just before the break, pull the yoke all the way back and
hold it there, and smoothly apply full left rudder. Time it so that
you reach full rudder just as the yoke hits the “up” stop.
As Jackie Gleason used to put it, “Awaaaay we go!” The air-
plane will drop its left wing hard - in fact, during the entry it won’t
feel like it’s spinning, but rather as if it’s rolling over onto its back.
The bank angle may, indeed, go well beyond 90 degrees. Keep
holding the yoke all the way back and keep the left rudder pedal
to the floor.
You’ll have a very impressive straight-down view out the
windshield, and the ground will be rotating. Pick some prominent
object - a road or coastline is good - to keep track of the turns.
After a turn and a half, start the recovery.
ONE: Smoothly apply full rudder opposite the spin.
TWO: As the rudder reaches the stop, briskly move the
yoke or stick forward until the airplane stops rotat-
ing. Airspeed will begin to increase.
THREE: Smoothly return the rudder to center and gently
recover from the dive in which you’ll find yourself.
Don’t add power until the nose is at least back on
the horizon.
Flight Instruction
Flight Instruction
172R in a
Spin