Fully Developed Spin

Purpose

To enter and recover from a fully developed spin using the standard PARE recovery procedure, and to develop the ability to count turns and maintain orientation during the spin.

Airmanship

Pre-Spin Checks

Complete a full HASELL check before any spin exercise. For fully developed spins, the altitude requirement is higher than for incipient spin practice:

• Minimum entry altitude: As specified by your instructor — typically no lower than 5,000 feet AGL to allow for multiple turns plus recovery altitude
• Minimum recovery altitude: Typically 3,000 feet AGL — recovery must be initiated by this altitude regardless of the planned number of turns
• Configuration: Clean (flaps up, gear up if retractable)
• Weight and CG: Confirm within the approved envelope for spinning

Full Spin Entry

The spin is entered using the same technique as for the incipient spin, but the pro-spin inputs are maintained to allow the spin to develop fully:

1. Complete HASELL checks. Note the entry altitude and a reference heading.
2. Reduce power to idle.
3. Raise the nose to maintain altitude as airspeed decreases.
4. At the full stall (buffet, stick shaker, or full back pressure with wing drop), apply full rudder in the desired spin direction.
5. Maintain full back pressure on the control column and full rudder — these pro-spin inputs sustain the spin.
6. The spin will transition from incipient to fully developed over 1-2 turns.

Counting Turns

Maintaining orientation during a spin requires practice. Use the following technique to count turns:

• Before entry, select a prominent reference point on the horizon (a landmark, road, or compass heading).
• Each time the nose passes through this reference point, one full turn has been completed.
• Count aloud: "One... two... three..." as each turn is completed.
• The turn coordinator will show full deflection in the direction of the spin — it is not useful for counting turns.

PARE Recovery Procedure

The standard spin recovery procedure is remembered by the mnemonic PARE:

Step	Action	Detail
P	Power — idle	Reduce power to idle (if not already). Power can flatten the spin and make recovery more difficult.
A	Ailerons — neutral	Ensure ailerons are neutral. Aileron input during a spin can be counterproductive or deepen the spin depending on aircraft type.
R	Rudder — full opposite	Apply full rudder opposite to the direction of spin. This opposes the yaw and disrupts the autorotation balance.
E	Elevator — forward	Move the control column briskly forward (toward neutral or beyond) to reduce the angle of attack and break the stall. The rotation should stop within one turn.

After Rotation Stops

1. Centralize the rudder — once rotation ceases, neutralize the rudder to prevent entering a spin in the opposite direction.
2. Level the wings — use coordinated controls to roll wings level.
3. Recover from the dive — smoothly apply back pressure. Do not pull abruptly — the airspeed will be increasing rapidly in the dive and excessive G-loading could overstress the aircraft.
4. Apply power — as the nose reaches the horizon and the aircraft returns to level flight, smoothly apply power.

Recovery from Various Attitudes

Your instructor may demonstrate spin entries and recoveries from different initial conditions to show that the PARE procedure remains effective regardless of the entry situation:

• Spin to the left: Full right rudder for recovery
• Spin to the right: Full left rudder for recovery
• Spin from a turning stall: The spin direction may not match the original turn direction — always identify the actual direction of rotation before applying recovery inputs