CPL Checkride Guide
Chair flying / Power-Off 180° Accuracy Approach and Landing

Power-Off 180° Accuracy Approach and Landing

From abeam the touchdown point, close the throttle and glide a 180° pattern to land on a spot — energy management with no second chances from power.

Guided rehearsal is PremiumACS IV.M — Power-Off 180° Accuracy Approach and Landing (ASEL, ASES)

Setup

  1. Normal pattern, gear down (if retractable), pick the touchdown point
  2. Abeam the point: throttle idle, pitch for best glide 73“Abeam — power off”
    Energy budget is fixed from here. Note wind — it decides how tight to fly the base turn.

Execution

  1. Turn base early or late based on wind and sink — keep the point off your shoulder
    Strong headwind on final: cut the pattern in. Tailwind on base: extend slightly and turn early. Judge continuously, not once.
  2. Hold flaps until the field is assured — add in increments to steepen, slip if high
    Flaps and slips are one-way energy valves: easy to add drag, impossible to un-add. Save some margin until short final.
  3. Stabilize final at the normal approach speed, aim slightly short of the point
    The flare consumes distance — aiming exactly at the point usually floats past it.
  4. Touch down on, or within 200 ft beyond, the specified point — never short“On the numbers”

Recovery

  1. Normal rollout; if the spot is unmakeable, go around early — don't stretch the glide
  2. Debrief the energy calls: where did you gain or lose the margin?

ACS tolerances

  • Touchdown -0/+200 ft from the specified point
  • Proper pitch attitude at touchdown, longitudinal axis aligned
  • Stabilized approach — no stretching the glide

Common errors

  • Turning base at the same place regardless of wind
  • Dumping all the flaps early, then arriving short
  • Aiming at the point instead of short of it — floating past
  • Adding power to save the spot (that's a different maneuver — and a bust)