The following post is fiction:

Yesterday I went out to fly on a mission to test a theory that has bugged me for quite some time. Can you and should you spin through clouds if you’re caught on top of a closed cloud deck without any gyros. Spinning is considered a stable maneuver (Flugzustand), that deletes altitude at a fast rate, without stressing the airframe.

So yesterday, after we had rains, we had a closed cloud deck at 3000ft AGL that broke up into 5-7/8 Cu. I climbed through a hole on top of the clouds, carefully noting my position, cloud base and cloud thickness. I spun first in the clear, to make sure the plane and pilot are up to the task. The second spin I initiated from above a closed cloud deck. I entered a stable spin (2 revolutions) before diving into the cloud. As soon as I went into the soup I focused on not moving any of the controls. It was very disorienting, not being able to see anything. Suddenly the plane felt different and the airspeed started increasing on the ASI. I had lost the spin somehow, but was still in the cloud!!! I neutralized the rudder and released the stick, when I came shooting out of the cloud. I had no idea why I had lost the spin, but it sure didn’t feel good inside a cloud. So I climbed back up, this time a little higher and tried again – this time the other direction. Spin was stable, this time four revolutions before going into the cloud. Again the fog was very very disorienting. And after what felt an eternity – the same thing: rising airspeed – I had lost the spin again, this time right before coming out of the cloud on the bottom. I suspect the turbulence inside the cloud has something to do with it, but I’ve decided that spins are not a good maneuver to punch through a cloud layer in a safe fashion. I wouldn’t recommend it as a “safe out”. Instead I’d setup for a stable decent with flaps and reduced power and hope for the best.

Hopefully I’ll never have to find out.

End fiction.

My thoughts on this topic are real though.