A starter air valve has a valve member and an actuator. A rotary spool valve has a rotatable valve body and an outer housing to selectively provide three modes of operation for the starter air valve. A first mode of operation connects air through the rotatable valve body to communicate with an actuator control, and to receive air back from the actuator control. The rotatable valve body then communicates the air to the actuator. In a second mode the rotatable valve body blocks communication between the actuator control and the actuator, and delivers air through a variable area port in a wall of the rotatable valve body to bypass the valve member. In a third mode the rotatable valve body blocks communication between the actuator and the actuator control, and connects air to the actuator without having passed to the actuator control. A starter air system is also disclosed.