Stalls and Spin

Lesson Summary

Stalls can occur when the angle of attack reaches the critical angle, causing the airflow to separate from the wing and lift to cease. It can happen at any airspeed, flight attitude, or weight, purely depending on the angle of attack.

  • The angle of attack when an airplane stalls remains the same despite changes in gross weight.

A spin is an aggravated stall where the aircraft rotates around the spin axis, following a corkscrew path due to one wing being more stalled than the other. To enter a spin, there needs to be a sufficient yaw rate while the aircraft is stalled in uncoordinated flight.

  • Failure to include proper rudder, aileron, and power control during a stall can lead to a spin.
  • If one wing stalls and drops, it can increase the angle of attack of the other wing, causing both to stall, resulting in a spin.

During a spin, both wings are stalled regardless of the direction of the spin, emphasizing the importance of avoiding stalls and spins for safe flying practices.

Complete and Continue