Dana, this time I think it is you who are wrong, in telling people that a spin is "hard to mess up", and "I wouldn't bother" with parachutes. A spin, any spin, is a manuever where the plane is not in normal flight. It is a state where, if not corrected the plane is going to crash and probably will be fatal in most planes in most cases. As for "if the pilot knows what he is doing"; almost all pilots think they know what they are doing;; they think they are safe. Very few people go up for a flight and plan to crash. Just like drunk drivers,and people who invested with Bernie Madoff, what could go wrong?
Spins killed many people in past days of multiengine training; they continue to be a cause in all airplanes, along with stalls of fatal accidents. I would say Art Sholl knew what he was doing, all the way down in until impact.It didn't make him impervious.
Of course a parachute is not gaurantee, but it is one more level of safety and it is foolish to forgo it or as you say. "I wouldn't bother.
Hey, why have enough lifeboats, on the Titanic, after all the Captain was super experienced, sure knew what he was doing, What could go wrong? Why were a seatbelt in your car or put your kids in car seats, after all the driver must know what he is doing. What could go wrong?
A spin may well be low g, at least until ground impact, but over g'ing or breaking the airframe is not the normal cause of fatalities. You can hit the ground with the whole plane intact.