SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/sport-wsc-spiral-recovery

To recover from a steep descending spiral in a weight-shift aircraft, what do you do with the control bar?

Pull the control bar in and reduce throttle, then level the wings.

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  1. Pull it in ✔
  2. Push it out
  3. Hold it where it is

Why: Pulling the control bar in lowers the pitch and unloads the wing so you can level it. Pushing the bar out further will likely cause an accelerated stall.

Huh, didn't know that: Practice should start at an altitude that allows recovery at no lower than 1,000 feet above the ground.

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In a spiral, the right move is to pull in. Don't push your luck.
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References

Answer: Pull it in. Pulling the control bar in lowers the pitch and unloads the wing so you can level it. Pushing the bar out further will likely cause an accelerated stall.

  1. FAA Weight-Shift Control Flying Handbook Addendum (spiral dive) www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/wsc_hb_addendum.pdf
    simultaneously reduce throttle, pull the control bar in to reduce pitch
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. FAA Weight-Shift Control Flying Handbook Addendum www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/wsc_hb_addendum.pdf
    Start all practice at an altitude that will permit a recovery at no lower than 1,000 feet above the ground.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  3. FAA-S-8081-31B Sport Pilot PTS, WSC and Powered Parachute (June 2026) www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/sport_wsc_pp_pts_31.pdf
    The maneuver must be initiated at altitudes above 2,500 feet AGL or the manufacturer's recommended altitude, whichever is higher.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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