By Zhang Gugu and Wang Zhijia
HARBIN, March 27 (ChinaMil) -- The PLA Air Force Harbin Flight Academy recently conducted the stall and spin recovery training with their JL-8 fighter trainer airplanes.
This was the first such training on the JL-8 fighter trainer airplane since it was deployed to the PLA Air Force's flight academies over two decades ago.
"The stall and spin recovery is a special stall resulting in autorotation about the vertical axis and a shallow, rotating, downward path," according to flight instructor Fei Hongliang.
Fei Hongliang added that the stall and spin recovery not only leads to a drastic drop in the maneuverability of the aircraft, but also seriously jeopardizes flight safety, thus it is also known as the "death trap". There have been a few serious stall and spin flight accidents in the regular training of the PLA Air Force.
Wang Zhiming, professor at the PLA Air Force Command College, said: "30-odd years ago, the PLA Air Force organized a special training program to prevent stall and spin in response to frequent relevant stall and spin accidents in flight training among aviation troops and academies."
Wang added that the purpose of the stall and spin recovery training on the JL-8 fighter trainer airplanes is to lay a solid foundation for pilot cadets at the basic flight training stage to prevent stall and spin accidents, strengthen their capability to handle special conditions, and temper their mental qualities.
It is said that the PLA Air Force will first spread the general training of stall and spin recovery for the flight instructors at all flight academies across the country. And after that, the stall and spin recovery training will be carried out among all pilot cadets.