SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-spin-recovery-power-idle

In the FAA's spin recovery steps, what should a pilot do with the throttle first?

Reduce power to idle, because power makes a spin worse.

  1. Add full power to climb out
  2. Hold cruise power steady
  3. Reduce power to idle ✔

Why: Power aggravates a spin. It can flatten the spin and usually speeds up the rotation. The FAA steps then call for neutral ailerons, full opposite rudder, and brisk forward elevator.

Huh, didn't know that: The FAA says rudder tends to be the most important control for spin recovery in typical single-engine airplanes.

The dad joke
What did the idling engine say? I'm not lazy, I'm conserving energy.
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Sources

  1. FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 5 https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/06_afh_ch5.pdf

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