Aircraft Upset Recovery Training
Many aircraft accidents are attributed solely to a poor standard of pilot training in advanced handling. Often, pilots are found to lack a developed sense of spatial orientation, stall awareness or the ability to recover an aircraft from a stall / spin scenario or unusual attitude. Although most aircraft are not certified for extreme manoeuvres or spins, it does not mean that it cannot happen. Experience, in terms of flying hours, doesn’t mitigate the problem, as the vast majority of fatal stall / spin accidents have occurred with instructor pilots on board, at or below circuit height (AOPA Air Safety Institute). Furthermore, aerobatics training of itself does not mitigate the problem either – as an inadvertent spin in the circuit area or elsewhere at low level is likely to be unrecoverable in the height available. The key to success is recognition and prevention – this comes from training.
Flight Standards is pleased to offer a course that focuses on the recognition and prevention of dangerous situations, as well as some handling and recovery strategies. It will raise the basic skill level, but most importantly, improve confidence. Unfortunately, this training is not mandated in the CASA licence syllabus, but is certainly a sound investment in piece of mind.
The training will cover stall recovery and recognition of the stall during manoeuvres (dynamic stall), unusual attitude recovery (visual and by reference to flight instruments), spin recognition / recovery and how to manage a failure of flight controls. It will also develop forced landing techniques.