Myth: Spins can be hard on an airplane’s gyro instruments.

Reality: This claim is often cited as the reason why a particular instructor or flight school cannot provide spin training in an airplane approved for spins. According to senior gyroscope technicians at TGH Aviation in Auburn, CA – an aviation instrument and overhaul facility with more than 50 years and several hundred thousand gyroscopes of experience behind it:

• In general there would be no additional wear factors on either an attitude gyro or a directional gyro caused by spins. While the attitude gyro – if not caged and of the type not designed for a full 360 degrees of movement – would hit the mechanical stops and would experience gimbal lock, this would not result in any appreciable additional wear beyond what is normally expected....
• As for the turn coordinator, we have seen evidence that this instrument can realize negative effects in an aircraft that has experienced excessive flat spins. As not many pilots are purposely inducing flat spins on a regular basis in airplanes equipped with turn coordinators, such negative effects would be a rare occurrence.