Definition
In a spin entry, the tendency of one wing to remain stalled and lag behind the other as the airplane rolls and yaws into the spin. The wing that hangs back is the more deeply stalled wing, which drops and drives the rotation.
Plain English
When an airplane starts to spin, one wing stays stalled while the other regains some lift. The stalled wing falls behind in the roll, and that lag is what gets the spin going.
Context Anchor
Seen during ground reference maneuvers, especially eights on pylons, when the pilot is using a ground point to judge altitude and speed during a turn.
Derivation
From 'hanging back,' meaning to lag or trail behind. The stalled wing literally trails the other wing as the airplane rotates, so the everyday phrase describes the motion accurately.
Why Pilots Care
Recognizing which wing is hanging back helps a pilot understand why the airplane is rotating in the direction it is, and reinforces why coordinated rudder use during stall recovery matters — uncoordinated flight at the stall is what lets one wing hang back and start a spin.
Grounding Statement
Picture the ground point as if it should stay nailed near the wingtip; if it drifts back toward the tail, that drift is hangingback.
Intuition Check
Hangingback does not mean the pilot is hesitating or staying behind another aircraft. Here it means the ground reference appears to slide backward because the airplane is too high for its current speed.
Example Sentence 1
When the right wing dropped at the stall, it was hanging back as the airplane began to rotate, and a spin developed.
Example Sentence 2
Hangingback during a steep turn often shows up as a delayed correction when the bank angle increases unexpectedly.