Flying Slow

Why Slow Is Tricky

When you fly fast, the air rushes over the wings and the controls feel crisp. When you fly slowly, there is less air moving, so the controls feel soft and slow to respond. You have to be patient and gentle.

Minimum Controllable Airspeed

The slowest speed where you can still fly the airplane and keep it pointed where you want. Go any slower and the wing stops working.

Flaps

Panels on the back of the wings. Lowering them changes the wing's shape so it can still lift you up even when you are going slow.

Mushy Controls

When the yoke feels soft and lazy. You have to move it more to get the same result.

Here's a cool fact: we practice slow flight way up high, but it's really how the airplane feels right before it touches down on the runway. So when you practice this, you are secretly practicing for landings too!

Instructor Setup

Cessna 172 with G1000, set up airborne in the practice area at 4,000 feet, trimmed for level cruise. Plan about 20 minutes. Run a quick HELL check (Height, Engine, Location, Lookout) before slowing down.

Session Flow

1. Brief and clearing turn (3 min). Explain minimum controllable airspeed in kid terms, then do a clearing turn so the area is clear of traffic.
2. Slow down with power (5 min). Have the student reduce throttle smoothly and watch the airspeed tape come down. Keep wings level.
3. Add flaps in stages (4 min). Flaps 10, then 20, as speed decreases. Show the student to raise the nose to hold altitude.
4. Feel the mushy controls (5 min). Settle at about 55 knots. Let the student make small yoke inputs and notice the slow, soft response. Coach altitude holding.
5. Recover and wrap (3 min). Add power, retract flaps in stages, return to cruise, recap.

Keep power coming in promptly if the airspeed sags too low. Stay calm and let the student feel the change.

Debrief

Talk through what the student felt as the airplane slowed down before moving on.

• Reduced power smoothly and let the airspeed come down
• Added flaps in stages to keep making lift at slow speed
• Noticed the mushy, lazy feel of the controls
• Held altitude while flying near minimum controllable airspeed

Next Lesson

Next up is "On the Edge" (K20): slowing down even more until you feel the airplane shake (the buffet) and hear the stall warning horn, then adding power right away to recover. If holding altitude in slow flight was wobbly today, spend the first two minutes of K20 settling back into slow flight first.

Skills You'll Work On

These are the maneuvers and procedures covered in this lesson. Your instructor tracks each one as you progress.

• Slow Flight (With & Without Flaps)
• Use of Trim Flaps Mixture Carb Heat

Grades reflect what was covered in this lesson, not a certification of pilot competency.

Lesson Plan

Where this fits: First of three sessions drawn from PPL Lesson 7, "Slow Flight." This session covers flying at minimum controllable airspeed; K20 adds the buffet and stall warning, and K21 adds gentle turns in slow flight.

Prerequisite

Comfortable with straight and level flight, trim, and using flaps (Stage 1, through K17).

Materials

C172 G1000 simulator, student checklist card, headset sized for the student.

Goal for this session

Student can slow the airplane to minimum controllable airspeed, configure flaps, and hold altitude while feeling the soft controls.

Looking Ahead

• K20 — On the Edge: recognize the buffet and stall warning, then recover with power.
• K21 — Slow Turns: gentle turns while flying slowly, and why stall speed goes up in a turn.