Upset Recovery Pilot Training 

In Canada Spin training is part of normal training. I put in 10 hours of spins in a Cessna 152. I would go out and do them for fun. After the club sold the 152 we did spins in the 172. The 172 was a lot harder to spin but with work it is possible. I could never understand the USA fear of spins.. After doing a few they are easily recognized as you enter and because we trained for them the correct actions are known to prevent them. Parachutes are not required in Canada, Spins are required to get a GA license in Canada

In 1973 I did my second out-of-pattern solo (Cessna 150) and returned to Van Nuys airport too close to a C-130 cargo plane. The wake turbulence rolled me 90 degrees at 100 feet altitude on final to runway 34 left. My wings were slipping between the all night golf range lamp standards! Time stood still as a reasoned my way to safety. I dove for quick airspeed to enhance aileron control and slowly added power to maintain velocity. With my right wingtip nearly scrapping the runway threshold fence, the plane snapped level with full left aileron input. Once on the ground I turned the engine off as my knees were knocking too hard to taxi! The tower understood and re-directed traffic for five minutes until I had regained my composure. I vowed to take aerobatic training to become better skilled; which I did just weeks after getting my license. My Citabria instructor said I had Cessna feet. Use the rudder! Learning aerobatics in the Citabria was a truly wonderful experience that all pilots should do. The Instructor in this video is THE BEST! My compliments as I just witnessed a demonstration of tremendous skill and competence. By the way, in 1973 I rented the Citabria, wet for $16 per hour! Yes indeed, times have changed but the thrill of flying never changes. Have fun everyone and learn to be safe! See my book: www.thebrotherhoodofthebeast.com

Josh, saw your interview with Trent Palmer. Trent inspired me to such a degree I almost bought a bush plane. A dear friend refreshed my memory with 52 yrs of type 1 diabetes and a few behind the wheel incidents. I have mitigated my risks driving but in the air your window is narrowed. Well, I bought my bush plane anyway, but it is an E-Flite Timber. Safer for both of us. I happened upon the Santa Paula airport in the mid 80's and noticed a Super Decathalon being fueled. Had my first video camera with me and asked the pilot what it would take to go up with him. "Oh, I'm flying aerobatics today, besides you would have to wear a 'cute. I have paid for the plane. You buy the gas." I'm in! I stated. Joe had 1500 hrs on his Christen Eagle. I explained my RC experience so I knew the maneuvers. Out of the pattern we climbed over some lemon orchards, roll inverted and climbed to 3000 ft. Joe started his routine with a hammerhead + 1/2 twist. Climbed for Cuban 8, outside rolling flat 360 turn, Avalanche, spin, inverted spin, more snap rolls and a hammerhead with inverted pull out. Accelerometer was reading -4, +6 g's, the aircrafts limits. Joe was so smooth that it was like watching videos on the windows. We did this 3 more times and I edited a video for him as a gift. Joe flies a corporate jet for a large SF based auto parts distributor and he stated "Flying in SF with the frequent fog I have always wanted to do a 1g roll on approach". He likes flying and would not risk his career. Nice flying, Josh. You have a great instructor. The uncoordinated turn maneuvers (slips/skids) was something I have never understood and demonstrated beautifully here. With RC I still do not know what to observe to coordinate a turn. I will watch the video a few more times and translate for an RC perspective. Thanks Flite Test for a very good video.

Pretty crazy that some powered aircraft pilots almost never, or never do spin training. Learning to fly gliders, I would do stalls or spins with my instructor at least ever other flight. By the time I solo'd on my 33rd flight, I had probably done around 50-60 stalls and spins. Stall and spin training is essential for glider pilots since we spend a lot of time close to stall speed and doing steep turns.

As a skydiver we share similar ideas about canopy control, the same rules apply when flying modern canopies, practice stalls, recovery techniques, flat and level turns and dives high up so you know your limits where it counts - low to the ground.

I am doing PPL training in Canada; we do aggravated stall, spin, and spiral dive recovery training at my school. I have had a couple of hair-raising flights, including one today; but I am confident that it will make me a better pilot. It is one thing to understand stuff in the book or classroom. Stepping on the wrong rudder in a stall, or, pushing the nose down too far in the recovery have happened to me in my training flights; resulting in a spin. I just hope that I continue to learn from the errors that I have made and use that knowledge, going-forward.

Can't wait to check out in the Decathlon. I got rotated past 90 degrees about 400 ft up by a helicopter wake when I was a student pilot, still here to talk about it. Upset training is fantastic.

I've always wanted to fly. I just wanted to thank you for taking us up and showing us this. I was so excited and felt just like I was sitting with you there in the airplane. Your instructor was fantastic taking you through those maneuvers. so cool thank you for sharing again

This training should be a part of ALL pilot training. I'm not a pilot, other than RC, but this the truly mind blowing and perspective changing.

I was so glad my instructor made me go through spin training, it wasn't required when I went through my training, but it made me both a better pilot, and safer pilot :-) Well done Josh :-) (And if you don't get sick, it's a lot of fun too ;-)

Even though I'm not a pilot, nor have any hope of becoming one, I loved sharing your experience. Keep it coming.

I am a student pilot, and feel like what these instructors are presenting makes so much sense. I struggle with just knowing the 4%. I have asked to add spin training, but will have to have someone else handle that training as it is not supported by my training facility or plane (SR-20). GREAT video.

Good instructors. I learned how to fly from a stunt pilot. Its all about knowing the limits of your aircraft and how to recover.

I took one of those lessons too, in a C152. It's fun :) Knowing what to do in any situation gives you a lot of confidence.

this is like (but far more important) boaters safety. most states don't require it and they teach you all the basics of handing different scenarios: bad weather, proper wake angles, etc. its great services like this exist and it should be rolled into the licensing.

Came across the video and thought it was odd that people are not trained in spin recovery. I have been out for decades, but had an FAA solo permit in glider when I was a kid. IIRC I had about 20 or so solo hours. Airport closed down and life happened so I never got back into it. Back then the only instruction was "fly the plane!" which meant having controlled and coordinated flight while also doing the fun stuff like minor aerobatics and recoveries. Having enough lift to mess around always meant treating myself to a good spin with a textbook recovery, or turning it into something even more fun with a g or more involved. I guess a bit more simple in sail planes with no engine to worry about, but same control surfaces and having to nose down to regain speed instead of using a throttle. The only event I had was when the compass leaked onto the hot metal of a Schweizer 2-33 on my 5th solo flight. The fumes from the liquid were making me ill so I pulled up to a stall and opened the canopy for a few seconds to vent her out while holding the stall.

I only just now learned that actual flight training doesn't really happen for most pilots. My mind is blown that, to some degree, I have practiced the limitations of stalling and recovery more with flight sims than some pilots ever do anywhere. Up until this point I always thought that knowing - meaning really being familiar with, and having played with - the limitations of one's aircraft were part of flying smaller aircraft.

Great general aviation segment Josh and company! This brought back some fond memories of an aerobatic course I had taken near Houston,Texas.So far, you and the guys were asking some relevant questions regarding the basics of flight throughout the full scale aviation videos.It was pointed out by your instructors that today's aviator students are not exposed to the more extreme flight envelops of the aircraft they are flying.Of course, this may not be practical or safe in the particular plane being flown.The FAA is conservative about risk regarding extreme maneuvers for student pilots thus, the student may not be exposed to extreme attitudes until after they earn their license. However an aviator can expand their practical knowledge of upset recovery may very well help them to be better stick and rudder pilots.By the way,it's good to see you fellas enjoying the first rate instruction shared with your viewers.Blue skies!

I did my private license in a citabria 7eca, so much fun and spin recovery never got boring!

We do spin training in Canada which is mandatory for the licence, so I've done many spins in aeroplanes and gliders with many different pilots and instructors. I've been teaching spins for about 4 years. Tyler's explanation after 21:00 is top-notch, some of the best I've heard. I've taken some of the things he says for his demonstration word-for-word to tell and show my students, and linked many students to this video for general principles of upset recovery. Thanks for sharing Josh. With 82,000 views I wouldn't be surprised if some lives are saved from this video.

Nice Job Josh. Learned my aerobatics in a Citabria. Great aircraft.

Honestly should be part of regular flight training. My instructor always says "now be careful not to cross control the airplane, or you'll spin it." But what do I do if I do enter a spin? I've got the actual instructions memorized from the POH checklist, but I've read enough flying horror stories to know that sometimes escapes your mind when you enter that spinning, or God forbid inverted spin, attitude. Practice makes perfect, and perfection protects.

This was a great video. I have never owned an R/C plane and always wanted to, however I have logged many hours in a 152.

Hey josh, I noticed that when you were doing your power off stalls you used opposite aileron when the wing stalled. In the super d it doesn't seem to upset anything, however in most aircraft it would put you in a spin, because the "lifting wing" will stall more severely and the other will stall less severely. Be careful about it... you're better off using opposite rudder to fix the situation.

Great Stuff Josh ! althoe there is alot of the "jello affect" on your selfy cam - I think they might want to try soft mounting there motors. lol

I've got 5 hours in a Belanca Decathlon in my log book to cover unusual attitudes, and basic aerobatics. In my current aviation career the skills learnt there are invaluable. Also an incredible aircraft, would love to see a FLITE TEST swappable of the mighty decathlon!

I am from Canada and shared this video with a pilot friend. He told me that spin recovery is a mandatory part of the training here. Not sure it's as extensive as what you are doing in the video.

Such a great idea. I just took it for granted power students were taught this. I've only piloted sailplanes (and hang gliders) and you don't get your sailplane license until you prove you can recover from a stall or spin.

Nice to see a good old taildragger with a very basic and fundamental complement of instruments. No glass screens no GPS, bells and whistles. I'd imagine it would be tough to get away from all the gadgets and crap seen in the newer planes.

I didn't think I would make it all the way through this vid but I was glued to it the whole time and I am not even thinking about ever going in the air even though I've dreamed about it since I was a child. I have only been in the air one time , in a 4 seater in 61 years but still flying fasenates me. Good work Josh, very informative.

The nice thing about a high wing like that is the plane wants to fly stable. Whatever you do to it, ease off the stick, and it wants to fly right side up and straight. I keep staring at that skylight though thinking "Where's the support!!!!" My eyes are telling me that wing is cut in half and ready to fly off hehe.

I just did stall recovery training a week ago. It's a lot of fun second to landings

There are a lot of spin videos out there but this is one of the better ones for sure. Mainly I think because the instructor has a good system for explaining whats going on and doing the general upset training first before moving on to the base to final spin. Thanks Josh.

I wanted to say thank you soooo much do beginning to get into full size aviation!!! When I go on RU-vid you guys are the first place I check and this was awesome to see! You guys will inspire more people to get into aviation and that is AWESOME!!!!You inspired me to build my own RC plane, granted it doesn't fly very well yet, but I am still trying and building another! So thank you flite test and all joshes there!!!

Josh you make it look easy. I try to stall and I freak out and spin the aircraft. I guess practice makes perfect.

24:49 My thought exactly "That was a snap roll"

I don't fly full scale (or models anymore for that matter), but this explains so many spins in War thunder and DCS... That rudder, man...

Awesome video BUT!. I hope next time on a very info loaded video with so many things going on you could add ***embedded captions*** to the dialog so we can watch some parts of the video on slow motion if needed and at the same time be able to read the exact info of the moment so we can help our brains try to make cense of what is going on. ***** Also I think it would be awesome now if you could do all this with an RC airplane ***** and show the transmitter moves. You could use the Flex cessna 170, so we can safely practice with a model to grasp better this concepts So if one day we get flying lessons and then this course we will have a little bit of advantage and absorb the lesson much faster. Also maybe add a little ***Glossary of terms*** at the beginning of the video, just 3 or 4 very important words that will be used repeatedly on the video or lesson so we can understand better. For example as other people have asked what is the exact meaning of the word UNLOADING as used here on this video?

Flitetest! The decathlon is one of my favorite planes, yet there are very few out there foam. Please make a kit! Thanks!😁

This was a great "movie". Editing and production value top notch as always. The owners of the school made some great points about having this experience and knowledge in your toolkit. I wish more people invested in safety with more mundane things like automobiles and firearms. Folks, get the additional training. Send your teenage kids to performance driving school. It could save their or someone else's life.

this is definitely one of the best upset recovery video I have seen so far. this kind of training is definitely a bucket list item for me.

Outstanding episode, Josh! I was crazy lucky to get a ride with a guy who owns a Super Decathlon about a year and a half ago, the day we did the first Flite Test Community Cast. He took me through every aerobatic maneuver in his repetoire. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. After that, I experienced my first sailplane flight. It was a good day! The thing that struck me most about this is the (now obvious) fact that a wing can fly far below its published stall speed due to reduced g's. Moral of the story is, use gravity to your advantage. Well, done. Can't wait for the next full scale episode!

Now that was an awesome video. I used to practice a lot of what was in this video with my Cessna 150. Just no replacement for good stick and rudder flying.

That interesting about spin training and not many pilots learning it because we do it with Gliders. It's the last thing you do before you go solo Also Parachutes are like the comfiest thing ever to sit on

What a great video! I don't understand the concept of not mandating this type of training for licensing! It should be a part of any piloting course, from private, multi, commercial and even airliners. Maybe the airliner pilot testing would be in a sim., but still training for stalls and spins. The earlier you can recognize a stall or spin the greater chance you can recover. My instructor showed me this concept in my second flight and scared the hell out of me! After a few times it became apparent that if recognized early, it was a simple procedure to correct and stay in the air. My biggest fear was always turning final; I had always heard and read too many stories of pilots losing it at that stage, with no room to recover - being literally the final turn in a pilot's life.

I've been a fan of flite test since 2012 and have pretty much loved every episode (well most) but THIS is for real my new favorite Flite Test episode! This has revealed an aspect of flight that is so important to me that can't stop geeking out about it! Honestly after I get my students license I'm going to take an upset recovery course and learn more about AoA.

That instructor is really good

Really compelling to watch - wouldn't have felt out of place as a BBC2 documentary. Sets a high bar for future your general aviation content!

I think what I've learned in this video will save my life one day. Specially on my turns in the pattern: never point the rudder to the ground. Thank you very much.

awesome video I took unusual attitude and upset recovery class many years ago. When I went for IFR we di the same recovery under IFR flight. I had a great Instructor who went on to fly A10 Warthogs out of Maryland's Martin Marietta airport. I am an RC plane enthusiast as well and love the videos you guys put out. Awesome Work!!

All pilots should read (Stick and Rudder). The best book ever written regarding flying.

That was awesome. That was take 'some air sickness pills' flying. I am not a pilot but I think I learned a lot from watching this. Josh is a good pilot!

By far my favorite flite test video ever

Bhalo, vertical plane then normal left or right extreme turn is a complete spin, but horizontal

Absolutely one of the the BEST videos that I have watched. This is pretty scary, the skid to stall especially. Its definitely got me thinking about that base to final turn!

Cool stuff! I have had my PPL for 20 years and have done aerobatic training in a Cessna Aerobat

I really enjoyed that. Reminds me of learning to fly in a Piper Tomahawk in the early '80s. My instructor was heavily in to stalls and spins. Thanks Josh

Usual attitude recovery in a multi engine Aero Commander inverted single engine out spin with IFR goggles.. The weird thing is no parachute required to do spins but aerobatic flight yes. Spins is where you are momentarily out of control.

Oh! Emm! Gee! I *so* miss this kind of flying... FL330 is so boring now! Great stuff, Josh!

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank Josh for taking us along!!!

Yes! My favorite youtube channel making a video in my all time favorite plane! :D

Can you do a beginner drone series like the beginner plane series

Josh, you look like Jason Miller who is a flight instructor from The Finer Points of Flying

Extremely well done. The editing is superb. The content and quality is above and beyond the scope of most flight instruction videos. You have provided invaluable information for anyone who learns visually, verbally and vicariously. Bravo and kudos to you, sir. Please continue to share your growth as a pilot and as a content creator.

My Uncle taught me how to fly in the early 1970's with these methods . This way you're prepared for anything . Should be mandatory as a fair weather pilot is a danger to himself , people onboard with him and people on the ground .

I was a little nervous just watching that. What a fantastic video!

That was extremely interesting, thanks Flite test! And linking RC to scale is clearly great, you can only learn a lot more by widening your horizons. I heard a lot of stories about crashes due to uncoordinated stall, and that explained it so well. Keep up the good work.

Great job Josh! Although I will never pilot a full scale plane, I have gained a great amount of knowledge from this video. It all makes sense. Thanks.

i absolutely love these general aviation videos

Good job. I wonder how much flying FPV helped you with staying comfortable with aerobatic flight. Getting the brain to turn off the nausea must have helped you take that much acceleration (not magnitude, just different levels ) without discomfort. Ask the instructor about that and see what his experience has been with pilots who are FPV gamers and flyers compared to others...Great...thanks (PS...soloed in a citabria in 1966 6355N ... lost the tail of my favorite shirt ... worth it.)

The plane in the background when you guys are in the hangar is a starduster. I am currently helping a freind build his. And can you guys please do a video about full scale tail draggers like the super cub? Thanks!

Great Episode Josh. How many lives could have been saved if all pilots had been required to have this training? It is more of the mental approach than the techniques, which are important, that I found most interesting.

Excellent video and training! So, if one practices these things enough, if they ever did allow themselves to get into a spin because they are overshooting base to final at 500 feet, would they be able to stop/correct it quick enough from that low altitude, or once that low its still too late? I guess the big take away is knowing what will cause the plane to spin, and avoid it at that altitude, if you over shoot too much suck it up and go around. Im not a pilot, took lessons years ago, would love to fly and love watching aviation videos and learning. Thanks!

This is awesome, thank you very much. I have a private and now really want to go do this also for safety and knowledge and honestly the fun of it too. Great video!

good video, those uncoordinated turns are a killer

Amazing video. The camera stabilisation was a little sick-inducing but fantastic nonetheless.

This video brought to you by Jello! :) Wow that Gopro was really in sync with the oscillations of the engine.

Nicely done Josh! I'm really enjoying the full scale content. Your instructor was very calm and informative. I hope I get one like him when I decide to finish my PPL training.

Thanks for the informative video. I would have liked to see a static inset of the instruments. Thanks again.

Love to take you up and do aerobatics if your ever in the uk (I'm also only 17)

The natural evolution of the interest and the channel ! Congrats ! Best Regards from Alaska !

The conventional training, taking a student pilot out and practicing only straight-ahead, coordinated stalls, borders on criminal negligence. The very benign, easily-handled coordinated stalls give the student pilot a very dangerous sense of security. Then, maybe years later, when the over-confident pilot is skidding the plane at 500' in order to line up with the runway, and suddenly and unexpectedly the plane stalls, spins and rolls inverted.....

What a great instructor! I'm a MEL instrument rated pilot, whose been away from flying for some years. Just getting back into it, and I'm amazed at the new "generation" of pilots flying with all their gadgets, ipads, gps, coupled autopilots etc. They seem to hardly know how to fly the plane anymore. I've also noticed a huge change in young pilots, who seem to think ATC has a major role in flying their plane, instead of realizing their the PIC, and all decisions, are the PIC's to make. Do new pilots even know, or have to use VFR & IFR charts, and plates anymore? Crazy. I hate to say it, bit I wouldn't feel safe with many of the new pilots, as their experience seems to be all in the gadgets, more than being able to fly the airplane.

Best RU-vid channel ever!

Thanks for that Josh. I totally missed my unusual attitude training and this is one up from there. I might have to try this, especially before I get that Piet built. Thanks for the inspiration.

great show josh! education is the best road to betterment. keep teaching.

Very good video FT. Cool stuff! An opportunity to witness some things that I just couldn't any other way. Thanks...

Excellent! Thank you for sharing this information with us that is not widely known.

How many packets of jello did you guys use? Very useful video though, for anyone who wants to get a better understanding of flying the wing

Really getting some jelly on that windscreen mounted camera. Any way to isolate that camera from the vibration?

I assume that some/ much of what Josh learned is transferable to RC flying. Will you folks at FliteTest be experimenting with this info on some of your RC flying videos?

I'm shocked that type of training is not covered in getting a PL from the start.

I want that Pitts S1 in the backround.

love the full scale videos

Great video! I really enjoyed it. Every pilot should do this training. And what a brilliant instructor!

need to get that prop sorted!!!

AWESOME! Loving the full scale content! Making me want to get my pilot license reallyyyyyyyy bad..

Wow...wow...wow. Great video and tons of useful info. Man i wish i was closer.

Umm I passed my ACS test in 10/2016 and going upside down was not part of my unusual attitudes recovery. Stall/power on/power off is part of my ACS test. Spin however is not.

anyone know what i have to do to get a pilots licence in Sweden there is a flight club that i know provides a motor sailing licence but i haven't picked up on any thing else