How to: Power-On Stalls
Power stalls are practiced to simulate an accidental stall occurring during takeoff and climb. The airplane will be set up in the clean configuration just as it would be during a normal takeoff and climb. Because this type of stall often occurs close to the ground, it is critical for you to be able to recognize the onset of the stall through sight, sound, and heal. Proper recovery technique should be practiced to help develop the habit of taking prompt corrective action. The focus of this maneuver will be on maintaining heading, altitude, and airspeed throughout the stall entry and recovery.
Power on stalls can be performed both from straight flight and in a shallow to medium bank turn. If you are performing the maneuver from straight flight, it will be important to pick a visual reference off the nose in order to maintain directional control throughout the entry and recovery. You will be expected to maintain your entry heading plus or -10 degrees throughout the maneuver. If you are asked to induce the stall while turning, you will be expected to maintain the designated bank angle plus or -10 degrees.
It is important to remember that during power on stalls, power, speed and pitch will all be changing rapidly, so rudder usage is critically important. In order to enter the maneuver, it is necessary to slow the airplane down to rotation speed while maintaining altitude. Even with reduced power, it will still be necessary to use slight right rudder pressure to maintain coordination and overcome the left turning tendencies of the airplane. As the airplane slows to rotation speed, the power will be increased to take off power while simultaneously increasing the pitch. As the power and pitch attitude are increased, the left turning tendencies will also increase dramatically. Therefore, it will be necessary to increase the right rudder pressure continuously throughout the setup in order to maintain directional control. Remember to divide your attention both inside and outside the airplane through this pitch increase in order to avoid traffic and also to aid in heading control. If coordinated flight is not maintained as the aircraft stalls, it is possible for the airplane to yaw dramatically and enter an inadvertent spin. Good directional control and coordination throughout the entry and recovery will prevent a spin from occurring, so proper rudder usage is critical. If you are performing the maneuver in a turn. Maintain coordinated flight in a shallow to medium bank turn. Use rudder to compensate accordingly.
Altitude requirements for performing stalls are very simple. The first thing you need to do is select an altitude that will allow you to recover no lower than 1500 feet AGL. This is the minimum altitude that you are allowed to descend to during the maneuver. As you begin the maneuver, you will slow the airplane to lift off speed by reducing the power and increasing the pitch in order to maintain altitude. Once rotation speed is attained the power will be increased to take off and the nose will be pitched up excessively and will begin climbing. Once the airplane stalls you will immediately begin the recovery. In order to recover you will need to lower the nose and begin a momentary descent. The amount of altitude that will be lost during the stall and recovery cannot be predetermined. Your objective is to recognize and recover from the stall with as little loss and altitude as possible and return to any preassigned altitude designated prior to the stall. This can be accomplished by following the recovery procedures outlined in the Cessna Som, which you can reference for additional help.
In order to begin the maneuver it will be necessary to slow the airplane to rotation speed. As you reduce the power to begin the slowdown you will have to continuously increase the back pressure on the yoke in order to maintain altitude and allow the airplane to slow down. If the back pressure is released the nose will drop and the airplane will accelerate. Once rotation speed has been reached takeoff power will be applied and the aircraft will be pitched up and allowed to climb. During this climb you will be in an excessively high pitch attitude so the airplane will continue to slow down until the stall occurs. Once the airplane has stalled, lower the nose momentarily and allow the airplane to accelerate begin to raise the nose back to the VY pitch attitude and the airspeed will build, allowing the airplane to climb once you have returned to the designated altitude. Accelerate to normal cruise airspeed throughout all of the changes in airspeed trim should be used to alleviate control pressures.
Now that we have discussed the key elements associated with the maneuver, let's see how they all come together to perform a power stall.
After performing clearing turns and making a position report, select a heading and altitude that will allow the maneuver to be completed no lower than 1500 feet AGL when you are ready to begin, reduce power to 1500 rpm while increasing pitch to maintain altitude. Adjust the trim to relieve control pressure. Allow the plane to slow to VR 55 knots. At that point, you should smoothly apply full power an increased pitch to approximately 20 degrees nose up while maintaining your original heading. If you are performing a turning stall smoothly roll into a bank of up to 20 degrees in the desired direction in both straight and turning stalls. Remember to use rudder to maintain coordinated flight.
This increase in both pitch and power will cause the airplane to continue to slow down as it climbs. As the airplane loses airspeed, the angle of attack will continuously increase as the airspeed comes closer and closer to stall speed. Often the first indication of an impending stall is the stall horn. This audible tone will increase in volume and pitch as you continue to increase the angle of attack while the stall horn is increasing in volume, engine and wind noise will be decreasing as both the engine and airplane slow down. As the aircraft approaches an imminent stall, you will begin to feel a shaking also known as a buffet in the yoke and possibly in your seat. This buffet is generated by the disruption of smooth airflow at the wingtips and is the first aerodynamic indication of an imminent stall.
Finally as the critical angle of attack is exceeded and the wing stall, the nose of the airplane will drop considerably without any input from the pilot. As the wing stalls and the nose drops, call out, stall it. The first step install recovery is to release the elevator back pressure. It is not necessary to push the nose down. Simply relaxing the rearward pressure on the yoke should be sufficient to reduce the angle of attack below the critical angle. At the same time, the throttle must be advanced to maximum allowable power if it is not already there to allow the airplane to regain flying speed. Once the angle of attack has been lowered and full power applied, the airplane will be in a nose low pitch attitude. Once sufficient flying speed has been reached, the nose should be raised to the VY pitch attitude. The cowling should be placed approximately on the horizon to give you nine to ten degrees of nose up pitch. It is expected that you will lose some altitude during the recovery, but it is important to minimize this loss and recover quickly and effectively to climbing flight. It is also important that the nose not be raised too quickly or the angle of attack on the airplane will increase rapidly and could result in a secondary stall which is often more dramatic than the initial stall.
If recovering from a turning stall the wings must be brought to level before the nose is raised in order to prevent excessive loading of the wings which will raise stall speed and possibly induce a secondary stall during the recovery. Directional control throughout the recovery to climbing flight will require the use of rudder as the airplane will now be in a nose-h high pitch attitude with full power, allow the airplane to climb to the specified altitude on your original heading, or if doing turning stalls on the heading, you recovered to level off at your desired altitude and once the airplane has accelerated to normal cruise speed, set cruise power, retrim the airplane and complete the cruise checklist.
Now that we've covered how to fly the maneuver, let's look at the end goals for your skills and a power stall. Some of the standards for the end of courses checker include. Select an entry altitude that allows the task to be completed no lower than 1500 feet AGL. Establish the takeoff or departure configuration and set power to no less than 65 percent available power. Transition smoothly from the takeoff or departure attitude to the pitch attitude that will induce the stall. Maintain a specified heading plus or -10 degrees if in straight flight. Maintain a specified angle of bank. Not to exceed 20 degrees plus or -10 degrees if in turning flight while inducing the stall. Recognize and recover promptly after a fully developed stall occurs. Accelerate to VY speed. Return to the altitude, heading and airspeed specified by the examiner.
Power stalls are practiced to simulate an accidental stall occurring during takeoff and climb. The airplane will be set up in the clean configuration just as it would be during a normal takeoff and climb. Because this type of stall often occurs close to the ground, it is critical for you to be able to recognize the onset of the stall through sight, sound, and heal. Proper recovery technique should be practiced to help develop the habit of taking prompt corrective action. The focus of this maneuver will be on maintaining heading, altitude, and airspeed throughout the stall entry and recovery.
Power on stalls can be performed both from straight flight and in a shallow to medium bank turn. If you are performing the maneuver from straight flight, it will be important to pick a visual reference off the nose in order to maintain directional control throughout the entry and recovery. You will be expected to maintain your entry heading plus or -10 degrees throughout the maneuver. If you are asked to induce the stall while turning, you will be expected to maintain the designated bank angle plus or -10 degrees.
It is important to remember that during power on stalls, power, speed and pitch will all be changing rapidly, so rudder usage is critically important. In order to enter the maneuver, it is necessary to slow the airplane down to rotation speed while maintaining altitude. Even with reduced power, it will still be necessary to use slight right rudder pressure to maintain coordination and overcome the left turning tendencies of the airplane. As the airplane slows to rotation speed, the power will be increased to take off power while simultaneously increasing the pitch. As the power and pitch attitude are increased, the left turning tendencies will also increase dramatically. Therefore, it will be necessary to increase the right rudder pressure continuously throughout the setup in order to maintain directional control. Remember to divide your attention both inside and outside the airplane through this pitch increase in order to avoid traffic and also to aid in heading control. If coordinated flight is not maintained as the aircraft stalls, it is possible for the airplane to yaw dramatically and enter an inadvertent spin. Good directional control and coordination throughout the entry and recovery will prevent a spin from occurring, so proper rudder usage is critical. If you are performing the maneuver in a turn. Maintain coordinated flight in a shallow to medium bank turn. Use rudder to compensate accordingly.
Altitude requirements for performing stalls are very simple. The first thing you need to do is select an altitude that will allow you to recover no lower than 1500 feet AGL. This is the minimum altitude that you are allowed to descend to during the maneuver. As you begin the maneuver, you will slow the airplane to lift off speed by reducing the power and increasing the pitch in order to maintain altitude. Once rotation speed is attained the power will be increased to take off and the nose will be pitched up excessively and will begin climbing. Once the airplane stalls you will immediately begin the recovery. In order to recover you will need to lower the nose and begin a momentary descent. The amount of altitude that will be lost during the stall and recovery cannot be predetermined. Your objective is to recognize and recover from the stall with as little loss and altitude as possible and return to any preassigned altitude designated prior to the stall. This can be accomplished by following the recovery procedures outlined in the Cessna Som, which you can reference for additional help.
In order to begin the maneuver it will be necessary to slow the airplane to rotation speed. As you reduce the power to begin the slowdown you will have to continuously increase the back pressure on the yoke in order to maintain altitude and allow the airplane to slow down. If the back pressure is released the nose will drop and the airplane will accelerate. Once rotation speed has been reached takeoff power will be applied and the aircraft will be pitched up and allowed to climb. During this climb you will be in an excessively high pitch attitude so the airplane will continue to slow down until the stall occurs. Once the airplane has stalled, lower the nose momentarily and allow the airplane to accelerate begin to raise the nose back to the VY pitch attitude and the airspeed will build, allowing the airplane to climb once you have returned to the designated altitude. Accelerate to normal cruise airspeed throughout all of the changes in airspeed trim should be used to alleviate control pressures.
Now that we have discussed the key elements associated with the maneuver, let's see how they all come together to perform a power stall.
After performing clearing turns and making a position report, select a heading and altitude that will allow the maneuver to be completed no lower than 1500 feet AGL when you are ready to begin, reduce power to 1500 rpm while increasing pitch to maintain altitude. Adjust the trim to relieve control pressure. Allow the plane to slow to VR 55 knots. At that point, you should smoothly apply full power an increased pitch to approximately 20 degrees nose up while maintaining your original heading. If you are performing a turning stall smoothly roll into a bank of up to 20 degrees in the desired direction in both straight and turning stalls. Remember to use rudder to maintain coordinated flight.
This increase in both pitch and power will cause the airplane to continue to slow down as it climbs. As the airplane loses airspeed, the angle of attack will continuously increase as the airspeed comes closer and closer to stall speed. Often the first indication of an impending stall is the stall horn. This audible tone will increase in volume and pitch as you continue to increase the angle of attack while the stall horn is increasing in volume, engine and wind noise will be decreasing as both the engine and airplane slow down. As the aircraft approaches an imminent stall, you will begin to feel a shaking also known as a buffet in the yoke and possibly in your seat. This buffet is generated by the disruption of smooth airflow at the wingtips and is the first aerodynamic indication of an imminent stall.
Finally as the critical angle of attack is exceeded and the wing stall, the nose of the airplane will drop considerably without any input from the pilot. As the wing stalls and the nose drops, call out, stall it. The first step install recovery is to release the elevator back pressure. It is not necessary to push the nose down. Simply relaxing the rearward pressure on the yoke should be sufficient to reduce the angle of attack below the critical angle. At the same time, the throttle must be advanced to maximum allowable power if it is not already there to allow the airplane to regain flying speed. Once the angle of attack has been lowered and full power applied, the airplane will be in a nose low pitch attitude. Once sufficient flying speed has been reached, the nose should be raised to the VY pitch attitude. The cowling should be placed approximately on the horizon to give you nine to ten degrees of nose up pitch. It is expected that you will lose some altitude during the recovery, but it is important to minimize this loss and recover quickly and effectively to climbing flight. It is also important that the nose not be raised too quickly or the angle of attack on the airplane will increase rapidly and could result in a secondary stall which is often more dramatic than the initial stall.
If recovering from a turning stall the wings must be brought to level before the nose is raised in order to prevent excessive loading of the wings which will raise stall speed and possibly induce a secondary stall during the recovery. Directional control throughout the recovery to climbing flight will require the use of rudder as the airplane will now be in a nose-h high pitch attitude with full power, allow the airplane to climb to the specified altitude on your original heading, or if doing turning stalls on the heading, you recovered to level off at your desired altitude and once the airplane has accelerated to normal cruise speed, set cruise power, retrim the airplane and complete the cruise checklist.
Now that we've covered how to fly the maneuver, let's look at the end goals for your skills and a power stall. Some of the standards for the end of courses checker include. Select an entry altitude that allows the task to be completed no lower than 1500 feet AGL. Establish the takeoff or departure configuration and set power to no less than 65 percent available power. Transition smoothly from the takeoff or departure attitude to the pitch attitude that will induce the stall. Maintain a specified heading plus or -10 degrees if in straight flight. Maintain a specified angle of bank. Not to exceed 20 degrees plus or -10 degrees if in turning flight while inducing the stall. Recognize and recover promptly after a fully developed stall occurs. Accelerate to VY speed. Return to the altitude, heading and airspeed specified by the examiner.