[Myrddin]

My instructor was skilled at aerobatics. Very capable of positioning the aircraft at an odd angle in a stall without any sensory clue with respect to how it got that way. As he did each one, it was a stare at your knees until I say "go". On "go", a view of the instruments "hooded" and immediate assessment of how to recover. The left wing low, nose slightly up and complete stall was an interesting mix.

Early on, we did some exercises using the doors to generate enough drag to steer the aircraft. Simulating loss of specific flight control surfaces. In the end, I think that my instructor had to employ those techniques to prevent the aircraft where he was a passenger from crashing into homes around Ensenada. The end assessment was a locked up control surface due to improper maintenance. Since he is no longer with us, his name was Ralph Buck. He was an instructor at Flying J Aviation at Brown Field south of San Diego. Over 50,000 hours of flight time and dead over improper maintenance of the aircraft where he was passenger.

[AnAmericanMother]

God rest Mr. Buck. He probably saved quite a number of lives that day. May it be counted unto him for righteousness.

My CFI was a Delta captain and built homebuilt aircraft in his spare time. That was almost 50 years ago - once I got a job that prevented me from flying at least once a week, I felt I wasn't sharp enough and quit. Still have my ticket but my medical isn't current.