In the past, some airplanes displayed an unrecoverable spin in which the nose was higher, relative to the horizon, than in conventional spins. This is sometimes called a flat spin. The plane spins on its belly along the transverse axis. The empennage will feel very light and loose. Depending on the aircraft, rudder and aileron inputs and changing engine power settings may have little effect. There is a small number of accounts of heroic pilots recovering from flat spins by loosening their restraint harnesses and leaning forward in an attempt to favourably alter the position of the center of gravity. Unfortunately, the great majority of pilots who have experienced an unrecoverable spin have not lived to talk about it if they could not bail out of/eject from the aircraft. Generally speaking, such characteristics are confined to high-performance aircraft, primarily fighters.
