CPL Checkride Guide
Chair flying / Chandelles

Chandelles

A maximum-performance 180° climbing turn: a constant-bank first 90° with increasing pitch, then a constant-pitch second 90° rolling out wings-level at minimum controllable airspeed. A commercial maneuver.

Guided rehearsal is PremiumACS V.C: Chandelles (ASEL, ASES)

Pre-Maneuver Checklist (CRAAC)

  1. Clearing turns: two 90° turns or one 180° turn; look for traffic
  2. Reference point: select a visual reference and set the heading bug
  3. Altitude: the task's entry altitude; ground reference 600–1,000 ft AGL, slow flight and stalls finish at or above 1,500 ft AGL
    Ground reference maneuvers enter at 600–1,000 ft AGL and hold altitude ±100 ft. Slow flight and stalls (and the commercial chandelles, lazy eights, and steep spiral) finish no lower than 1,500 ft AGL. Eights on pylons fly at pivotal altitude.
  4. Airspeed: at or below Va (105 @ 2,325 lb / 90 @ 1,900 lb kt)
  5. Configuration: fuel pump ON, lights ON, mixture RICH, flaps as needed

Setup

  1. 95 kt (approx. 2,300 RPM), maintain altitude
  2. Clean configuration flow
  3. Choose a reference point off the wing

Execution

  1. Roll into and hold 30° of bank
  2. Apply full throttle and gradually increase pitch to about 10–12° up at the 90° point
    First 90°: hold the bank constant while pitch rises steadily to its maximum at the 90° point.
  3. Past the 90° point: hold the pitch and gradually reduce bank to arrive wings-level at 180°

Recovery

  1. At the 180° point: wings level at minimum controllable airspeed, just above a stall
  2. Momentarily hold, then accelerate to straight-and-level with minimum altitude loss

ACS tolerances

  • Bank / rollout ±10°

Common errors

  • Letting the bank change during the first 90°
  • Reaching maximum pitch before or after the 90° point
  • Rolling out early or late, off the 180° reference