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.

Chair fly it

Pre-Maneuver Checklist (CRAAC)

Clearing turns — two 90° turns or one 180° turn; look for traffic
Reference point — select a visual reference and set the heading bug
Altitude — high enough to complete the maneuver at or above 1,500 ft AGL
ACS minimums: slow flight and stall recovery complete ≥1,500 ft AGL; ground reference maneuvers enter at 600–1,000 ft AGL.
Airspeed — at or below Va (105 @ 2,325 lb / 90 @ 1,900 lb kt)
Configuration — fuel pump ON, lights ON, mixture RICH, flaps as needed

Setup

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

Execution

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

Recovery

At the 180° point: wings level at minimum controllable airspeed, just above a stall
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