<<The gentleman who posted the AT-6 story is absolutely "on target"  with
what can/will bite us hard in these high hp airplanes:  being close to the
stall limit (overshooting final & tightening the turn??), recognizing
something "bad" (buffet, low airspeed for conditions, or simply that the
turn ain't gonna work), and pouring on some coals while adding back pressure
to raise the nose.>>

Yes.  And further, I read posts from some who say something like "stalls
with the ball centered are okay..." - problem is, one's FINAL stall itself
will be inadvertent so why would one expect that the ball will be centered
at that time?  My meager experience is that at low air speed with power
changes, configuration changes, etc., the ball does NOT automatically stay
centered and it takes conscious rudder effort to keep it there.  I submit
that most inadvertent stalls, ESPECIALLY those at low altitude will, almost
by definition, be uncoordinated and therefore result in a wing drop, if not
a spin.  Stall avoidance is still the best prevention, it seems, and
therefore the thing to practice.

The reported FAA standards seem to say it right - keep a one-maneuver
distance away from the unknown.  If the plane has not been demonstrated to
be recoverable from a spin, don't stall it.  If it has only been
demonstrated recoverable to "normal" standards, stall, but don't spin.  Only
spin if it has been certified to aerobatic standards.

Gary Casey
'74 C177RG, ES project