Unusual Attitudes
Big Idea
Sometimes the airplane ends up in a weird position — nose way up, nose way down, or wings vertical. You need to fix it fast.
Fun Fact
Airline pilots practice unusual attitude recovery in their simulator every 6 months — it is that important!
Challenge
Can you recover from an unusual attitude with your eyes closed for the first 2 seconds?
What You Will Learn
- Nose high, slow: add power, lower the nose, level the wings
- Nose low, fast: reduce power, level the wings, pull back gently
- Look at the attitude indicator to figure out what is happening
- Wings first, then pitch
Simulator Steps
- Close your eyes — instructor puts the airplane in a weird attitude
- Open your eyes — look at the attitude indicator
- If nose HIGH and slow: power + lower nose + level wings
- If nose LOW and fast: reduce power + level wings + pull back
- Practice multiple times until the reaction is quick
What You Learned
- Check the attitude indicator first
- Nose high: power + push forward
- Nose low: reduce power + level wings + pull back