Definition
The deliberate sequence of control inputs used to stop a spin and return the airplane to normal flight. The standard sequence, often remembered as PARE, is: reduce power to idle, neutralize the ailerons, apply full rudder opposite the direction of rotation, then briskly move the elevator forward to break the stall. Once rotation stops, the rudder is neutralized and the airplane is recovered from the resulting dive. The specific procedure published by the airplane manufacturer always takes precedence.
Plain English
Spin recovery is the set of actions a pilot takes to stop an airplane that has entered a spin and bring it back under normal control.
Context Anchor
You encounter this term in spin training, emergency procedures, and discussions of stall and spin awareness in the Airplane Flying Handbook.
Why Pilots Care
Failing to recover correctly from a spin leads to rapid loss of altitude and possible ground impact; timely and accurate recovery prevents accidents.
Grounding Statement
In a spin recovery, the first goal is not to pull the nose up; it is to stop the rotation and get the wings flying again.
Intuition Check
Do not assume spin recovery means simply pulling back to raise the nose. Pulling back can keep the wings stalled; the recovery starts by stopping the rotation and reducing the wing’s angle to the airflow.
Example Sentence 1
After entering an intentional spin during training, the student applied the spin recovery procedure and the rotation stopped within half a turn.
Example Sentence 2
After an inadvertent spin entry on the base-to-final turn, the pilot initiated spin recovery immediately and regained level flight at 800 feet AGL.