Stalls seem less scary after doing lots of them (but not because I'm used to them)

Salty

New member
Ok, so I used to be very scared of stalls until I went out and did them over and over until I got over it. Then it suddenly got so "no big deal" that I honestly felt like I was "doing them wrong" because they just didn't seem to break like they used to, but everyone told me I just got used to them, they'd watch me and say, yep, you're stalling completely (I knew I was, but it just feels so different now)

Well, today I figured out what's really going on, and no, it's not that I "got used to it". Nor is it because I'm "doing them wrong" now. In fact, it's because I'm "doing them right" now. I was teaching someone how to do the stall, and I talked them through it first and said "don't push down to recover, just stop pulling back". Then I demonstrated those exact words. Wham! I got that nose drop that I remember from the old days. Turns out, the difference is that I've learned how to let the nose fall without just "letting go" of the stick and letting the nose drop straight down. Seems simple now it's so stupid. But now it finally makes sense to me why they seem so different and docile now. I'm actually flying the plane the whole time and not letting it do whatever it wants.
 
My current plan is to show students the falling leaf early on and to also get them into the habit of if something is going wrong in non-aerobatic situations it is usually a good idea to get the nose down and level the wings. Make it a habit.

Also works well in gliders when the tow line or winch cable breaks.
 
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