Stall/Spin training and jump ops check out.

[Administrator]

Fellow DiverDrivers,

How do you feel about your experience with stall/spin training for the aircraft you are currently using in jump ops?  Have you taken time to see what the characteristics are in slow flight / stall onset?  How much of a check out and what should be on the check out for a 182 / 206 / skyvan / otter...etc?

I know the 206 was a much heavier aircraft than a 182 I was used to.  I thought the stall break was more pronounced than on a 182.  And its characteristics can be different depending the year model as some have a wider horizontal stabilizer.

There is a discussion going on with the Mt. Vernon, MO 206 crash on DZ.com.  But I would like to see a discussion here too.  There's nothing wrong with being new or low time.  There is something wrong with poor checkouts and supervision from more experienced pilots to ensure safe ops.

Discuss.

[skysurfer2010]

The first thing I did for a new jump pilot was to take them up and have them perform some stalls and slow flight. After that we would come back into the pattern and do a few types of landings and take offs. If I felt comfortable with how they performed we would then move onto jump ops. This was for piston aircraft only. Turbines we would do most of the training during jump ops. Pilots were allowed to get a feel for slow flight and stalls once the jumpers exited.  I think it's extremely important for a new pilot to get a feel for the aircraft they're flying before they're sent off alone with passengers.

[smike]

My training on anything outside of normal jump ops was zero.  Not smart to do at least stalls first.  One problem...how do you pratice stalls or engine outs (twin) with a realistic load?

[dc3freightdog]

Stall/Spin training is a very useful tool to learn about the airplane limitations and to recover if you spin. Unfortunately spin training is only mandatory for flight instructor applicants. I think it would benefit the dropzone if the pilot is familiar with stall/spin procedures. However who would pay for it?

[Administrator]

Stall/Spin training is a very useful tool to learn about the airplane limitations and to recover if you spin. Unfortunately spin training is only mandatory for flight instructor applicants. I think it would benefit the dropzone if the pilot is familiar with stall/spin procedures. However who would pay for it?

After a recent conversation I've learned that insurance companies may now be demanding a spin endorsement even for 182s.  The DZs may handle it by demanding the applicant have it already or agree to pay for it as a cost of doing business.  Or maybe something in between.  But it seems industry is taking it seriously and recognizing a glaring deficiency in some pilot's training background.  It's good loss prevention training.

[PilotBB]

slow flight has always been a pet peve of mine, especially when training jump pilots.  for the first time as a flight instructor i decided to not perform an actual spin with a student pilot because of his high level of compitence. well, it came back and bit me because on his stage check he stall/spun the C152 and attempted to correct using aileron! no rudder!

so now i do complete spin training with all my students. the faa decided it was unecassary but i believe that accident reports speak louder than words/paper/beuracrat.