PPL Checkride Guide
Chair flying / Power-On Stall

Power-On Stall

Recognize and recover from a stall in a takeoff/departure configuration: a high pitch attitude at full power, then a prompt recovery with reduced angle of attack and coordinated rudder.

Guided rehearsal is PremiumACS VII.C: Power-On 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. Clean configuration flow
    Clean configuration flow: electric fuel pump ON · fuel selector proper tank · mixture full rich · flaps 0.
  2. Slow to 70 kt (a departure/lift-off speed)

Execution

  1. Simultaneously raise the nose smoothly and apply full power
  2. Continue increasing pitch to 18–20° to induce the stall; hold right rudder
    Full power at high pitch produces strong left-turning tendencies (torque, P-factor, spiraling slipstream), so lead with right rudder to stay coordinated.

Recovery

  1. At the first indication / full stall: reduce AOA, level the wings, keep max power“Stall, recover”
  2. Accelerate to Vx or Vy as appropriate
  3. Continue the climb at Vy (76 kt)

ACS tolerances

  • Airspeed ±10 kt
  • Heading ±10°
  • Minimal altitude loss, no secondary stall

Common errors

  • Not enough right rudder: yaw and roll toward a spin entry
  • Recovering before the stall develops
  • Pushing the nose too far down and losing excess altitude