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Commercial pilot · ACS CA.VII.E · Instructor lesson plan

Spin Awareness

Student pack: Train: Spin Awareness · Full lesson: Prepare guide

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1 · Objective

By the end of this lesson your student can explain spin awareness in their own words and apply it to a realistic flight, to the ACS standard for CA.VII.E.

Why it matters for safety: Stall-spin accidents are among the deadliest in general aviation because they usually begin too low to recover: in the pattern, on departure, or in a low-altitude maneuver. A commercial pilot needs to recognize the setups and keep the airplane coordinated and unstalled, so the spin never starts.

2 · Assign before the lesson

Pre-work: the free Train pack, Spin Awareness. How a stall plus yaw becomes a spin, how to stay out of one, and how a spin is recovered.

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Pack: pilotprep.pro/train/cpl/spin-awareness · Full lesson: pilotprep.pro/prepare/cpl/spin-awareness

3 · Teach sequence

Key points to land

  • A spin needs a stalled wing and yaw. Stay coordinated and below the critical angle of attack, and the airplane can't spin.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Phases: entry, incipient (from the stall to a fully developed spin, which takes two to four turns in most airplanes), developed (steady rotation and descent), and recovery. Recover from an incipient spin before 360° of rotation; the first turn costs about 1,000 feet and each later one about 500.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Recover as early as you recognize it. A common procedure (PARE): Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder full opposite the rotation, Elevator briskly forward; hold until rotation stops, then neutralize the rudder and ease out of the dive. The POH procedure comes first.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins; Your airplane's POH/AFM)
  • The classic accident is the skidding turn from base to final: rudder into the turn, opposite aileron to hold the bank, and a pull.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • An aft center of gravity makes spins flatter and recovery harder or impossible; stay inside the weight and balance envelope.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Unless the manufacturer specifically approves spins, they are prohibited; many airplanes are placarded against them, and approval is often limited to the utility category's weight and CG. No multiengine airplane is approved for intentional spins, and their recovery characteristics are generally very poor.(Your airplane's POH/AFM; Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), multiengine airplanes)
  • Spin training for the commercial certificate is not required (except for CFIs), but spin awareness is: prevention is the goal.(AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness Training)

The aerodynamics

  • In a spin, both wings are stalled, but one more deeply; the difference in lift and drag keeps the airplane rotating and descending.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Yaw at the stall (a skid, a slip, high power without rudder) starts the rotation. Load factor raises the stall speed, so a spin can come from an accelerated stall in almost any attitude. Weight, center of gravity, power, flaps and gear all change how it develops; an aft CG makes it flatter.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Entry: stall with yaw, a wing drops. Incipient: rotation building, not yet stable. Developed: steady rotation, airspeed and descent rate. Recovery: rotation stops and the wing unstalls.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)

Recovery

  • Follow the POH. The general procedure: power to idle, ailerons neutral, full rudder opposite the rotation, then immediately brisk, positive elevator forward of neutral (don't wait for the rotation to stop), hold both until rotation stops, neutralize rudder, then recover gently from the dive without a secondary stall or exceeding limits. Find the rotation direction from the turn indicator's symbolic airplane, not the ball.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins; Your airplane's POH/AFM)
  • Recover from an incipient spin immediately, before 360° of rotation; a developed spin takes more turns and more altitude (about 1,000 feet for the first turn, 500 for each after). Intentional spins are planned to finish recovery at or above 1,500 feet AGL.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Spin or spiral? In a spin the wing is stalled and the indicated airspeed stays low and roughly constant. In a spiral dive the wing is flying and the airspeed climbs; pulling only tightens it and adds G. Don't apply spin recovery to a spiral: power off, level the wings, then ease out.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Ailerons used in the direction of the rotation can make a spin worse; keep them neutral.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)

How spins happen in real flying

  • The base-to-final overshoot tightened with rudder; a turn back to the runway after an engine failure; a go-around with nose-up trim; a low-altitude steep turn; a departure stall without rudder.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Stall warnings (horn, light) must start at least 5 knots above the stall in each configuration, typically 5 to 10 knots (check the POH), and continue to the stall; they are angle-of-attack driven and can fail, and in an accelerated stall the warning comes at a higher speed. Buffet differs between airplanes. Know the other cues: mushy controls, quieter air noise, a high nose, sink.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Turbulence and gusts change the angle of attack suddenly; a microburst or wind shear can drop the airspeed in seconds; at high density altitude there is less power to recover with, and the true airspeed at the stall is higher.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)

Attention and traffic

  • Spin training: confirm the POH and placards approve it at this weight and CG; check the 91.307 parachute rule; clear above and below for aircraft, terrain, obstacles and wires; and start high enough to recover by 1,500 feet AGL, with an instructor.(AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness Training; 14 CFR 91.307)
  • Expect disorientation during a spin: fly the airplane first, and confirm the direction with outside cues and the turn indicator.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Distraction is how stalls happen in real flying: a frequency change, a passenger, traffic. Keep a scan outside and inside, and if in doubt, lower the nose first.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))

4 · Ask your student

In order: recall, then understanding, then applying it. Move up only when the answer shows it.

  1. Recall · What two things must happen for an airplane to spin?

    A strong answer: The wing must be stalled, and there must be yaw.

  2. Understand · Why does an aft center of gravity make spins more dangerous?

    A strong answer: With less nose-down moment, the spin can go flatter and the elevator has less power to unstall the wing, so recovery may be slow or impossible.

  3. Apply · Overshooting final, you notice yourself pushing rudder into the turn and holding opposite aileron. What do you do?

    A strong answer: Neutralize the cross-control, keep the ball centered, lower the nose, and go around. Never tighten the turn with rudder.

Scenarios to talk through

  • An engine fails at 400 feet after takeoff. Why not turn back to the runway?

    Sound decision: A steep turn at low speed and altitude raises the stall speed and invites a stall-spin with no height to recover. Land mostly straight ahead.

  • A stall in a skidding turn: the airplane rolls sharply and starts to rotate. What do you do?

    Sound decision: Recover from the incipient spin at once: power idle, ailerons neutral, rudder opposite the rotation, nose forward; then recover from the dive.

  • You load cargo far aft in a light single for a charter-like flight. What's the risk?

    Sound decision: An aft CG makes the airplane less stable and spins harder to recover; stay within the weight and balance limits (spin approval is often only in the utility category's CG range).

5 · Common student errors

  • Using aileron to stop the rotation.

    Why it matters: It can deepen the stall and the spin.

    How to correct it: Ailerons neutral, rudder opposite.

  • Pulling hard out of the dive.

    Why it matters: It can cause a secondary stall or overstress.

    How to correct it: Ease out gradually.

  • Tightening turns with rudder.

    Why it matters: It creates the skidding stall-spin setup.

    How to correct it: Use coordinated bank, or go around.

6 · Completion standard

  • Your student answers each "Ask your student" question in their own words, up to the Apply level, without prompting.
  • They talk through the scenarios and reach a safe, legal decision, explaining why.
  • They complete the pack’s quick check and can say what they flagged.

Area trained? Close out with a practice oral focused on CA.VII.E: pilotprep.pro/exam?exam=CPL&focus=CA.VII.E

7 · References

  • Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Slow flight, stalls and spins; multiengine airplanes
  • Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight
  • AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training
  • AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness Training
  • Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), Area VII
  • Your airplane's POH/AFM, stall recovery, speeds and limitations
  • Airman Certification Standards, task CA.VII.E

PilotPrep instructor lesson plan, from the Spin Awareness lesson (checked against current FAA sources 2026-11-13). A study and teaching aid, not FAA guidance; teach to your own judgment and the current ACS.