CPL Checkride Guide
Chair flying / Power-Off Stall

Power-Off Stall

Recognize and recover from a stall in the landing configuration, simulating an approach: reduce the angle of attack, add power, and return to a climb with minimal altitude loss and no secondary stall.

Guided rehearsal is PremiumACS VII.B: Power-Off Stalls

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. Landing configuration flow
    Landing configuration flow: electric fuel pump ON · fuel selector proper tank · mixture full rich · flaps 40.
  2. Establish a stabilized descent at 66 kt

Execution

  1. Throttle to idle
  2. Wings level or up to 20° of bank
  3. Smoothly raise the nose to the horizon and hold until the stall
    Bring the pitch up to induce the stall; expect the buffet and stall horn as the wing reaches its critical angle of attack.

Recovery

  1. At the first indication / full stall: reduce AOA, level the wings, add max power“Stall, recover”
  2. Retract flaps to 25°, then establish Vx or Vy as appropriate
  3. Flaps to 0° accelerating through Vx (66 kt); return to altitude, heading, and airspeed

ACS tolerances

  • Heading ±10° straight, bank ≤20° ±5° turning, to impending or full stall

Common errors

  • Recovering before the stall actually occurs
  • Using too much back pressure and inducing a secondary stall
  • Not adding power promptly, losing excess altitude