Prepare for: Spin Awareness and Spin Training
Private and commercial applicants must understand spins; CFI applicants need a spin training endorsement.
Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.
What you'll do
- A spin needs two things: a stalled wing and yaw. Coordinated flight near the stall prevents most spins.
- Know your POH spin recovery. A common generic one is PARE: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder full opposite the rotation, Elevator forward to break the stall.
- After rotation stops, neutralize rudder and recover from the dive smoothly without over-stressing the airplane.
- CFI applicants: spin training is done with an instructor in an aircraft approved for spins, and you receive an endorsement (14 CFR 61.183(i)).
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.VII.D · Spin Awareness
See this task in the official ACS.
Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B)Task CA.VII.E · Spin Awareness
See this task in the official ACS.
Flight Instructor ACS (FAA-S-ACS-25)Task FI.X.I · Spin Awareness and Spins
See this task in the official ACS.
Read it in the FAA handbooks
The official chapters behind this page. Each link opens the exact chapter, free on faa.gov. See the full Study Library.
Prepare the night before
- Read the POH: is this airplane approved for intentional spins?
- Study the stalls and spins lesson.
Common mistakes
- Thinking aileron will stop a spin (it can make it worse).
- Skidding turns at low altitude, the classic base-to-final spin setup.
Questions to ask your instructor
- Is this airplane approved for spins?
- Can we do an upset or spin training session with an aerobatic instructor?
Related lessons
Check yourself
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