Abe, thanks for sharing, like many of our brethren on this site.  Info like that on behavior in off-nominal conditions is extremely valuable.  

I notice that neither the CAFE testers, nor the Lancair demo pilots, ever intentionally stalled a Legacy (or, I assume, any other Lancair).  Now I see why.

Humorous anecdote:  The best lessons I ever learned were from instructors who *intentionally* let me screw up -- to their everlasting credit, because they were taking a certain amount of risk in doing so.  In particular, my primary instructor one day finally just stopped telling me to keep the ball in the middle, and when I stalled the Cherokee it entered a spin which my instructor immediately recovered (1/4 turn or so).   After I stopped shaking, I NEVER FORGOT TO KEEP THE BALL CENTERED AGAIN.  : )

I have adopted the same technique (in certified training aircraft) with students who just can't learn any other way, and it's highly effective.   

Charley

On Jan 3, 2013, at 2:08 PM, Abe Gaskins wrote:

My 0.02.  I transitioned from a C-172 to a Legacy about 4 years ago.  I had enough sense to get some transition training and had enough sense to realize my limitations.  I had an instructor go up and do some stall work with me.  I initiated the stall.  The plane stalled and I must have not had the ball centered.  (maybe I did--read the NOTE BELOW for a possible scenario that could kill a few good fellows).  If the ball is not centered, my experience was very little warning to the stall and/or spin--and when she stalled, she snapped violently into a spin (remember I transitioned from a 172 so I was a low time pilot--no advanced training and no military training).  I immediately told the instructor: " you've got the controls."  

He neutralized the aileron input and pushed forward to break out of the spin.  Upon doing so, the bird subsequently snapped more violently into an opposite spin.  My instructor was/is a very low-key, non panicking personality.  Upon entry into the second spin in the opposite direction his only response during the second spin was: "OH SHIT!"  From which he initiated standard recovery techniques and he got us out of the situation. I had no audible response, but let me tell you, my heart rate spiked like scared field mouse.  Years later I asked one of the learnered pilots in the Lancair community how close we were to a very dire outcome (I'm keeping names out of this email other than my own). He said:" only thing I can say is, you were very close. Based upon Reynolds Numbers and theory, the Legacy will not come out of a spin after 2 or 3 turns."   Those are his words not mine.  I write these words with trepidation, because I do not want to cause problems for myself nor the people who helped me in my training.  However, I do think that it is not advisable to make a blanket statement that everyone should do stall training.  And my purpose it to help people make prudent decisions regarding their own training, and, hope that my comments inch our community towards better safety and many fruitful years of flying.   

Years later

In my case I have a partnership in a Russian Yak 18T.  On my quest for a $200 breakfast on Saturday mornings I do spins, loops, rolls, cuban eights, immelmans...and more fun S&*T.   I think I am a better pilot for getting aerobatic experience. If your not current in aerobatic work (or proficient) then I would not recommend doing stalls in the Legacy.  I would recommend getting some spin training in a more docile aircraft. And then if you want to do some stall work, find someone in the Lancair community that would be willing to help you out.  I love my Legacy, but I have no intention of stalling mine if I can help it. 

NOTE BELOW

If your are flying with a glass cockpit, and relying it for situation awareness, the turn coordinator has to be calibrated.  If it is not calibrated then you might be skidding across the sky with "the ball centered", which might be OK in cruise, but it certainly is not OK in speeds close to a stall configuration. 

Abe Gaskins
MGM Industries
Direct line 615-265-2046
Cell 615-642-2310           Skype Name: abe.gaskins

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."--Confucius 

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education"--Mark Twain 

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness"--Mark Twain