quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
When I was a student Naval Aviator, and later once I got my wings, we had to do OCF (Out of Control Flight) training once a year. We did it in the T2C. Reason being it had a straight wing and would mimic the more advanced tactical jets in terms of what control inputs would get it out of the spin. What it didn't mimic was the difficulty of getting one of those advanced jets out once it started the spin.

Most advanced jets, if they spun, would typically spin inverted. Hard to visually tell when looking outside during the spin. Regular spin was similar to Jeff's video. The roll and yaw were in the same direction. Inverted, the roll and yaw are opposite. And of course in the T2, the rate of rotation was about 10 times as fast as shown in Jeff's video. So fast that once you stopped the spin, your inner ear would continue spinning, but now in the opposite direction. I puked on every single one of those hops.

Anyway, to tell the type of spin, upright or inverted, when upright, the needle and ball were both displaced fully to the same side. Inverted, the needle and ball would be fully displaced, but in opposite directions.

One of the better methods for getting the T2 into an inverted spin was to pull up to 90 degrees straight up, hold that attitude, then half right rudder, full left rudder, then full right rudder and full forward stick and full left aileron. Completely cross up the controls. Full throttle throughout. The aircraft would depart from flight and tumble uphill for a couple hundred feet before settling into the spin. As long as you held the controls, the spin rate would tighten.

Came close to spinning the A4 a couple of times. Got the F/A-18 out of a spin after about 1 turn once as well. Spinning either of those 2 jets was typically an invitation to taking the silk ride down to the ground (ejection and parachute).

Good times.