Full spin recovery and aircraft flight manuals
Full spin recognition and recovery is a required part of the SPL syllabus. Most sailplanes will recover promptly from a spin using a standard spin recovery technique taught to student pilots, as described in the 2025 BGA instructor manual.
As highlighted in the instructor manual, it is important to note that some sailplanes may have specific full spin characteristics and/or recovery action which is detailed in the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM). This can include the time taken/height lost to recover from a fully developed multiple-turn spin even when using the correct recovery technique. The K21 with the manufacturer’s spin weight modification is one example. Any sailplane AFM includes type-specific information from manufacturer test flying and other data. All pilots should ensure they have read and understood the AFM of the aircraft that they fly.
This CAA video describes an aeroplane spin training situation that nearly ended badly because a pilot did not initially apply the correct spin recovery action detailed in the AFM. Loss of Control – Stall and Spin Awareness
