Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) • ACS Area VII, Task B

The Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with power-off stalls.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Attention/Motivator:
    0:05
    Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, Power-Off Stalls:
    1:15
    Part 3, Power-Off Stalls Risk Management:
    1:15
    Part 4, Power-Off Stalls Guided Scenario:
    0:20
    Part 5, Lesson Conclusion:
    0:05
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • Research and present a mishap case study:
    • Discuss how the initial conditions developed into an incident/accident/mishap
    • Relate similar personal experiences of the same type of incident/accident/mishap
    • Consider incorporating a case study as a guided scenario

  • Motivator:

    • Power-off stalls simulate a stall during the normal approach to landing
      • Should be set up in the landing configuration
    • Recoveries therefore train a pilot to make prompt, positive, and effective recoveries with a minimum loss of altitude
    • This stall may occur while descending in an actual or simulated emergency or in any power-off situation when airspeed is not controlled

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Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Materials

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
  • Part 2, Power-Off Stalls:
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply power-off stalls.
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain the aerodynamics associated with stalls in various airplane configurations, including the relationships among angle of attack, airspeed, load factor, power setting, airplane weight and center of gravity, airplane attitude, and yaw effects. (CA.VII.B.K1)
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain how airplane design affects stall characteristics and how to recognize impending- and full-stall indications by sight, sound, and feel. (CA.VII.B.K2)
    • Identify factors and situations that can lead to a power-off stall and actions that can prevent one. (CA.VII.B.K3)
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain the fundamentals of stall recovery and the priorities of reducing angle of attack, maintaining coordination, applying power, and returning to the desired flightpath. (CA.VII.B.K4)
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply power-off stalls procedure.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply power-off stalls common errors.
  • Part 3, Power-Off Stalls Risk Management:
    • Identify and mitigate factors or situations that could lead to an inadvertent power-off stall, spin, or loss of control. (CA.VII.B.R1)
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain the range and limitations of stall-warning indications, including aircraft buffet, an aural warning, or other installed indications. (CA.VII.B.R2)
    • Recognize and respond appropriately to stall warnings encountered during normal operations. (CA.VII.B.R3)
    • Manage risks associated with the stall-recovery procedure, including excessive altitude loss, secondary stalls, and failure to maintain coordination. (CA.VII.B.R4)
    • Prevent secondary, accelerated, and cross-control stalls during entry, recovery, and return to normal flight. (CA.VII.B.R5)
    • Assess the effects of environmental elements on power-off stall performance, including turbulence, microbursts, and high-density altitude. (CA.VII.B.R6)
    • Identify and mitigate collision hazards by selecting an appropriate practice area, clearing the area, and maintaining awareness of traffic, terrain, and obstacles. (CA.VII.B.R7)
    • Manage distractions, prioritize tasks, maintain situational awareness, and recognize conditions that could cause disorientation. (CA.VII.B.R8)
  • Part 4, Power-Off Stalls Guided Scenario:
    • Lead the guided scenario.
    • Present a realistic power off stalls scenario and have the learner identify hazards, make appropriate decisions, and explain the proposed course of action.
    • Require the learner to clear the area. (CA.VII.B.S1)
    • Require the learner to select an entry altitude that permits completion no lower than 1,500 feet AGL for ASEL or ASES, or 3,000 feet AGL for AMEL or AMES. (CA.VII.B.S2)
    • Require the learner to configure the airplane in the approach or landing configuration specified by the evaluator and maintain coordinated flight. (CA.VII.B.S3)
    • Require the learner to establish a stabilized descent. (CA.VII.B.S4)
    • Require the learner to transition smoothly from the approach or landing attitude to a pitch attitude that induces a stall. (CA.VII.B.S5)
    • Require the learner to maintain the specified heading within ±10° in straight flight, or an angle of bank not exceeding 20° and within ±5° in turning flight, until the specified impending or full stall occurs. (CA.VII.B.S6)
    • Require the learner to acknowledge the cues at the first indication of a stall. (CA.VII.B.S7)
    • Require the learner to recover at the first indication of a stall or after a full stall, as specified by the evaluator. (CA.VII.B.S8)
    • Require the learner to configure the airplane as recommended by the manufacturer and accelerate to best angle-of-climb speed (VX) or best rate-of-climb speed (VY). (CA.VII.B.S9)
    • Require the learner to return to the altitude, heading, and airspeed specified by the evaluator. (CA.VII.B.S10)
  • Part 5, Lesson Conclusion:
    • Tie lesson back to previous lessons to reinforce past experiences (law of readiness).
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
  • Update instructor endorsement records and the student's jacket, as required.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • Ground:
    • Discuss hazards while operating at or below the traffic pattern altitude, relating hazards to the training airfield, as appropriate
    • Discuss reasons for shallowing descent on final approach (birds, another airplane, descending below glide slope, rising terrain, etc.)
    • Discuss compounding hazards with a base-to-final turn
  • In air, set a simulated field elevation at approximately 2500+ feet AGL (Above Ground Level)
    • Complete the power-off stall procedure, but allow time to stabilize on a simulated approach
    • Provide the student with a reason to pull back on the elevator, note the altitude at which the student initates the stall
    • Upon recovery, note the altitude, and ensure safe recovery
    • While the student establishes a stabilized climb, note the altitude lost in the maneuver, and discuss the results
  • Discuss clearing the maneuvering area and the time required to detect conflicting traffic when visibility is reduced.
  • Related scenarios:
    • None
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Airman Certification Standards

  • Objective: To determine whether the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with power-off stalls
  • Note: See Appendix 2: Safety of Flight and Appendix 3: Aircraft, Equipment, and Operational Requirements & Limitations for information related to this Task
  • References: AC 61-67; FAA-H-8083-2 (Risk Management Handbook), FAA-H-8083-3 (Airplane Flying Handbook), FAA-H-8083-25 (Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge); POH/AFM.
Knowledge 4 ACS Elements
Risk Management 8 ACS Elements
Skills 10 ACS Elements
  • CA.VII.B.S1:
    Clear the area.
  • CA.VII.B.S2:
    Select an entry altitude that allows the Task to be completed no lower than 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL) (ASEL, ASES) or 3,000 feet AGL (AMEL, AMES).
  • CA.VII.B.S3:
    Configure the airplane in the approach or landing configuration, as specified by the evaluator, and maintain coordinated flight throughout the maneuver.
  • CA.VII.B.S4:
    Establish a stabilized descent.
  • CA.VII.B.S5:
    Transition smoothly from the approach or landing attitude to a pitch attitude that induces a stall.
  • CA.VII.B.S6:
    Maintain a specified heading ±10°° if in straight flight; maintain a specified angle of bank not to exceed 20°, ±5° if in turning flight, until an impending or full stall occurs, as specified by the evaluator.
  • CA.VII.B.S7:
    Acknowledge cues of the impending stall and then recover promptly after a full stall occurs.
  • CA.VII.B.S8:
    Execute a stall recovery in accordance with procedures set forth in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM).
  • CA.VII.B.S9:
    Configure the airplane as recommended by the manufacturer, and accelerate to best angle of climb speed (Vx) or best rate of climb speed (Vy).
  • CA.VII.B.S10:
    Return to the altitude, heading, and airspeed specified by the evaluator.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Power off Stalls Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Power Off Stalls strengthens the coordination, energy awareness, and precise control needed to keep the airplane within safe aerodynamic limits.
    • Recognizing changes in angle of attack, load factor, control effectiveness, wind drift, and developing errors allows pilots to correct before safety margins disappear.
    • Structured practice builds visual awareness, aircraft feel, checklist discipline, and the judgment required to discontinue or recover when a maneuver becomes unstable.
    • Mastery of Power Off Stalls provides a foundation for the more precise and complex aircraft-control tasks encountered in later training.

  • Closure:

    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.