Certified Flight Instructor - Flight Instructor Airplane Practice Exam

Which characteristic is NOT associated with a spin?

1. Stalled wing

2. High rate of rotation

3. Rapid loss of altitude

4. Loss of control

The correct answer is: Stalled wing

The characteristic that is not associated with a spin is that the wing is stalled. In a spin, one wing is indeed stalled, while the other wing has a higher angle of attack and may still be generating lift. A spin typically occurs when an airplane is in an uncoordinated stall condition, leading to a very specific aerodynamic state where one wing is more stalled than the other, causing a rotation about the aircraft’s vertical axis. The other characteristics are all associated with a spin. During a spin, the aircraft experiences a high rate of rotation as it spirals downward due to the imbalance in lift between the wings. This also results in a rapid loss of altitude as the airplane essentially loses altitude in a descending corkscrew pattern. Additionally, a spin reflects a loss of control since the airplane has transitioned from normal flight to a condition where the pilot may struggle to regain a stabilized flight path without proper recovery techniques.