# 408 Aerobatic Training for Pilots: How Upset Recovery Prevents Loss of Control — Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/408-aerobatic-training-for-pilots-how-upset-recovery-prevents-loss-of-control-dr-catherine-cavagnaro
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/408-aerobatic-training-for-pilots-how-upset-recovery-prevents-loss-of-control-dr-catherine-cavagnaro.md
Podcast: [Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News](https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015)
Published: 2025-12-20T06:54:00+00:00
Episode link: https://aviationnewstalk.libsyn.com/408-aerobatic-training-for-pilots-how-upset-recovery-prevents-loss-of-control-dr-catherine-cavagnaro
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/aviationnewstalk/Episode_408.mp3?dest-id=499762
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/episodes/408-aerobatic-training-for-pilots-how-upset-recovery-prevents-loss-of-control-dr-catherine-cavagnaro
Duration seconds: 3427

## Resource

Max talks with Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro about how aerobatic training builds safer, more confident pilots by reducing loss of control, improving stall and spin awareness, and shortening the startle response. Although many pilots associate aerobatics with airshows or extreme flying, this conversation reframes aerobatic training as a practical safety tool that directly applies to everyday general aviation operations. Catherine explains that the core value of aerobatic training lies in learning where "the edge" of aircraft control really is. Many pilots are taught to avoid stalls and spins at all costs, which can unintentionally create fear rather than understanding. Aerobatic training deliberately takes pilots past that edge in a controlled environment so they can see, feel, and understand what happens beyond it. Once pilots truly understand where that boundary lies, they are far better equipped to avoid unintentionally crossing it during normal flight. A major theme of the discussion is loss of control, which remains one of the leading causes of fatal aviation accidents. Catherine describes how many loss-of-control events are not caused by a lack of knowledge, but by startle response and improper control inputs under stress. When something unexpected happens—such as an uncommanded roll, a botched go-around, or a developing stall—pilots often freeze for several seconds or react instinctively in exactly the wrong way. Aerobatic and upset-recovery training helps shorten those "extended dumb moments" by making unusual attitudes familiar rather than frightening. Catherine shares real-world examples from her experience as a Designated Pilot Examiner. In one case, a commercial pilot applicant mishandled a power-off stall by applying aileron instead of reducing angle of attack, w…

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