Stalling

HASELL Checks

Before any stall exercise, complete the full HASELL check as described in Lesson 7. Ensure you have a minimum of 3,000 feet AGL, clear airspace, and have performed a thorough clearing turn.

Stall and Recovery Without Power

This is the basic stall — clean configuration, power at idle. It demonstrates the fundamental aerodynamics of the stall in its simplest form.

Entry

1. Establish straight and level flight at a safe altitude
2. Reduce power smoothly to idle
3. Maintain altitude by progressively raising the nose
4. Continue raising the nose as speed decreases — note the symptoms as they develop
5. Hold the back pressure until the stall break occurs (nose drops, possible wing drop)

Recovery (Without Power)

1. Lower the nose — relax back pressure to reduce angle of attack
2. Level wings with rudder if a wing has dropped
3. As speed builds, smoothly raise the nose to level flight
4. Add power to regain cruise speed

Stall and Standard Recovery (With Power)

This is the standard stall recovery you will use in practice — applying full power during recovery to minimize altitude loss.

Entry

Same as above — idle power, maintain altitude, let speed decay to the stall.

Standard Recovery

1. Simultaneously: Lower the nose (reduce AoA), apply full power, level wings with rudder
2. Maintain balanced flight — right rudder as power increases
3. As airspeed increases, smoothly transition to climb or level flight
4. Retract flaps (if extended) in stages once safely above V_S1

Stall With Power

This exercise simulates a departure stall — stalling with power applied, as might occur during takeoff or climb if the pilot raises the nose too high.

Entry

1. Establish cruise flight, then apply climb power (or full power as briefed)
2. Progressively raise the nose well above the normal climb attitude
3. Maintain wings level and balanced flight as speed decays
4. Continue until the stall break

What to Expect

• The stall will occur at a higher pitch attitude than the power-off stall
• The nose drop at the stall may be more pronounced
• Wing drop tendency may be stronger due to propeller effects (P-factor, slipstream)
• More right rudder is needed throughout to stay coordinated

Recovery

Standard recovery: lower the nose, maintain full power, level wings with rudder, transition to climb as speed builds.

Stall With Flap

This demonstrates how flap affects the stall characteristics. Flap lowers the stalling speed (V_S0 is lower than V_S1) but also changes the stall behavior.

Entry

1. Reduce speed below V_FE (maximum flap extension speed)
2. Extend full flap
3. Reduce power to idle
4. Maintain altitude as speed decays to the stall

What to Expect

• The stall occurs at a lower airspeed than clean configuration
• The nose-down pitch at the stall may be more abrupt
• Higher drag means the airplane decelerates faster toward the stall

Recovery

1. Standard recovery: lower nose, full power, level wings with rudder
2. Do NOT raise flaps immediately — first establish positive climb or level flight
3. Retract flaps in stages (e.g., full to half, then half to clean) once safely above V_S1 and with positive rate

Stall in Approach Configuration (Power and Flap)

This simulates a stall on final approach — the most dangerous real-world scenario because it occurs at low altitude with limited recovery room.

Entry

1. Configure as for approach: flap extended, approach power set
2. Establish a normal approach attitude and speed
3. Gradually raise the nose (simulating the pilot pulling back too much on short final)
4. Allow speed to decay to the stall while maintaining power at approach setting

Recovery

1. Lower the nose — reduce angle of attack
2. Simultaneously apply full power
3. Level wings with rudder
4. Establish positive rate of climb before raising flaps in stages

Recovery at Incipient (Developing) Stall

This is the most important practical skill in the stall series. In real flying, you will use incipient recovery — never allowing the stall to fully develop.

Procedure

1. Enter as for any stall configuration (clean, with flap, with power)
2. At the first symptom of the approaching stall — buffet onset, stall warning horn, or mushy controls — immediately recover
3. Recovery: lower the nose slightly (just enough to reduce AoA below critical), apply power as needed
4. The stall is prevented; minimal altitude is lost

Practice Variations

• Recover at stall warning horn activation
• Recover at first buffet
• Recover at first sense of mushy controls
• Practice in various configurations: clean, with flap, with power, in turns