Definition
The speed at which an airplane is rotating about its vertical axis during a spin, typically expressed as the time required to complete one full turn or as degrees per second.
Plain English
How fast the airplane is spinning around — for example, one turn every two seconds is a faster rate of rotation than one turn every four seconds.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in spin recognition and recovery discussions, especially when describing how a spin develops or slows during recovery.
Derivation
Rate comes from an older word meaning a measured amount, and rotation comes from Latin rota, meaning wheel. Together, the words point to a measured amount of turning over time.
Why Pilots Care
A high rate of rotation in a spin produces rapid disorientation and must be stopped with rudder before the nose is raised.
Analogy
It is like watching a wheel spin: the rate of rotation is not where the wheel is pointing, but how quickly it is turning.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse rate of rotation with airspeed or engine speed. Here it means how fast the airplane itself is turning during the spin.
Example Sentence 1
As the spin developed, the pilot noted the rate of rotation increasing and prepared to apply recovery controls.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot applied full opposite rudder to reduce the rate of rotation before raising the nose.