This paper reviews the handling qualities that influence the high-angle-of-attack (AOA) behavior of super- sonic fighter aircraft in order to obtain a clearer understanding of the causes of stall/spin accidents. The results show that, because modern fighters suffer more serious consequences when control is lost, good handling qualities are essential for safe operation at high AOA. Relaxed static stability used on some fighter aircraft can result in control problems at high AOA due to inertia coupling and the difficulty of a recovery from a deep stall. Indications are that the use of departure/spi n resistance and an automatic spin-prevention system will greatly improve the safety record for modern supersonic fighters. ANDLING qualities at high angle of attack (AOA) con- tinue to be an important factor in the safe operation of all types of aircraft. Loss of control at high AOA, leading to departure and spin, has been a historic problem since the early flights of the Wright brothers.1 Starting with the operation of World War I fighters, many aircraft and lives have been lost due to stall/spin accidents; however, stall/spin maneuvers were sometimes used to escape from an opponent. Due to its low L/D, a spinning aircraft could lose altitude more rapidly (caused by separated airflow) and more safely with the low airspeeds involved, as compared to his pursuer who risked structural failure in attempting to follow in a high-speed dive. Today modern military fighters are tailored specifically to operate at very high AOA for good combat effectiveness. Because of the demand for increased maneuverability, aerodynamic features and control systems have been devised to provide penetration into AOA ranges two to three times greater than the range of early fighter aircraft. Of particular concern is loss of control when operating at high AOA5 resulting in stall/spin accidents. Although some fundamental aerodynamic parameters that underlie the behavior of aircraft at high AOA are reasonably well understood and criteria have been developed to determine the susceptibility of a given con- figuration to departure and spin problems, the accident record for military fighter aircraft still needs improvement. Over 100 F-4 fighters have been lost due to departure/spi n during the development and operation of this internationally used popular aircraft. The more modern fighter aircraft, such as the F-14A, F-15, F-16A, and F/A-18, have much improved stall/spin accident records; however, accidents have occurred for several of these types in the high-AOA range, and these aircraft have yet to be exposed to broader operational use. This paper examines the handling qualities associated with high-AOA operation with an emphasis on stall/spin accidents of high-performa nce (supersonic-type) fighters. A clearer understanding of the factors involved could help improve the safety record. The scope of this paper includes the following: 1) a brief review of the military specifications (MIL SPEC) for the high- AOA portion of the flight envelope, and 2) a look at the high-