Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Flight Instructor (Airplane) • ACS Area X, Task C

The Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan covers the instructional knowledge, risk management, and skills required by FAA-S-ACS-25.

Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Attention/Motivator:
    0:05
    Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, Instructional Knowledge:
    0:25
    Part 3, Risk Management Instruction:
    0:15
    Part 4, Skill Demonstration and Teaching:
    0:30
    Part 5, Guided Teaching Scenario:
    0:20
    Part 6, Lesson Conclusion:
    0:05
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • Present a teaching scenario in which learner safety or understanding depends on effective instruction in power-Off Stalls.
    • Ask the instructor applicant to identify the first instructional decision that will shape the learner's outcome.

  • Motivator:

    • To determine the applicant understands power-off stalls, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.

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Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Materials

Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Review the maneuver's common errors and assess the learner's understanding of their mitigations.
  • Before the lesson, review the reference materials, applicable airplane limitations, and the instructor applicant's prior lesson preparation.
  • Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    • Present the attention getter and motivator.
    • Review Area of Operation X, Task C, and the Airman Certification Standards.
    • State the lesson objective: To determine the applicant understands power-off stalls, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.
  • Part 2, Instructional Knowledge:
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain how power-off stall training develops recognition, prevention, and recovery skills for approach and landing operations. (AI.X.C.K1)
    • Relate angle of attack, airspeed, load factor, power, weight, center of gravity, attitude, configuration, and yaw to power-off stall onset and behavior. (AI.X.C.K2)
    • Compare make-and-model stall characteristics and teach impending- and full-stall recognition through sight, sound, and feel. (AI.X.C.K3)
    • Use unstable approaches, excessive pitch, overshooting turns, distraction, and poor energy management to explain causes and preventive actions. (AI.X.C.K4)
    • Teach recovery priorities: reduce angle of attack, maintain coordination, apply power, manage configuration, and return to the desired flightpath with minimum altitude loss. (AI.X.C.K5)
    • Identify, demonstrate, and correct common errors, including poor coordination, delayed recognition, excessive pitch, and improper recovery or configuration sequencing. (AI.X.C.K6)
  • Part 3, Risk Management Instruction:
    • Have the learner identify approach and landing conditions that can produce an inadvertent power-off stall, spin, or loss of control, and establish preventive controls. (AI.X.C.R1)
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain the range and limitations of buffet, stall horns, angle-of-attack indications, and other installed stall-warning systems. (AI.X.C.R2)
    • Require immediate evaluation and correction of any unexpected stall warning during normal operations. (AI.X.C.R3)
    • Brief recovery priorities, positive transfer of aircraft control, intervention points, and altitude-based discontinue criteria. (AI.X.C.R4)
    • Prevent secondary, accelerated, and cross-controlled stalls through angle-of-attack reduction, coordination, and disciplined recovery inputs. (AI.X.C.R5)
    • Account for turbulence, microbursts, density altitude, and other environmental factors affecting stall onset, recovery altitude, and performance. (AI.X.C.R6)
    • Control collision hazards through clearing turns, continuous traffic scanning, and suitable practice-area selection. (AI.X.C.R7)
    • Manage distractions and task priorities so aircraft control, coordination, altitude awareness, and orientation remain primary. (AI.X.C.R8)
    • Require the instructor applicant to model risk controls, intervention points, and discontinue criteria while teaching.
  • Part 4, Skill Demonstration and Teaching:
    • Clear the area and maintain an effective traffic scan. (AI.X.C.S1)
    • Select an entry altitude that permits completion no lower than 1,500 feet AGL (ASEL, ASES) or 3,000 feet AGL (AMEL, AMES). (AI.X.C.S2)
    • Configure for approach or landing as specified and maintain coordinated flight. (AI.X.C.S3)
    • Establish a stabilized descent. (AI.X.C.S4)
    • Transition smoothly from the approach or landing attitude to a stall-inducing pitch attitude. (AI.X.C.S5)
    • Maintain heading ±10° in straight flight or bank not exceeding 20°, ±5°, in turning flight until the specified impending or full stall. (AI.X.C.S6)
    • Have the learner identify and acknowledge the first stall indication. (AI.X.C.S7)
    • Recover at the first indication or after a full stall, as specified, using coordinated manufacturer-recommended procedures. (AI.X.C.S8)
    • Configure as recommended and accelerate to VX or VY, as appropriate. (AI.X.C.S9)
    • Return to the altitude, heading, and airspeed specified by the evaluator. (AI.X.C.S10)
    • Analyze learner performance and correct common errors without compromising positive aircraft control. (AI.X.C.S11)
    • Coach simultaneous explanation, demonstration, observation, error correction, and, when airborne, positive aircraft control.
  • Part 5, Guided Teaching Scenario:
    • Lead the guided scenario.
    • Evaluate instructional organization, technical accuracy, risk management, learner engagement, and every applicable ACS element.
  • Part 6, Lesson Conclusion:
    • Review the lesson objective, instructional strengths, risk-management decisions, and items requiring additional practice.
    • Present the re-motivation and closure.
  • Update instructor records and the instructor applicant's training record, as required.
Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • The instructor applicant must teach a learner a lesson involving power-off stalls while maintaining an organized lesson flow and an appropriate level of learner participation.
  • Require a briefing of approach/landing causes, warning limitations, recovery and intervention criteria, related stall hazards, environmental effects, traffic, and distractions. (AI.X.C.R1–R8)
  • Have the applicant clear the area, establish a safe altitude and approach/landing configuration, enter from a stabilized descent, recognize the specified stall, recover, and return to specified conditions. (AI.X.C.S1–S10)
  • Introduce an error such as poor coordination, excessive pitch, delayed recognition, or improper configuration sequencing; require timely intervention and learner-centered correction. (AI.X.C.K6; AI.X.C.S11)
  • Conclude with a learner-centered assessment and instructor self-critique tied to the ACS knowledge, risk management, and skill elements.
Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Student Actions

  • Review the maneuver's common errors and explain how to prevent and correct each applicable error.
  • Complete assigned readings and prepare a lesson plan with objective, content sequence, teaching aids, assessment, and completion standards.
  • Teach the applicable knowledge elements accurately and in learner-appropriate language rather than relying on rote recitation.
  • Identify, assess, mitigate, and teach the risks associated with the task.
  • Demonstrate or explain each applicable skill while maintaining positive control, observing the learner, and correcting errors appropriately.
  • Complete or review AOPA's Essential Aerodynamics Online Course.
  • Use effective questions, check learner understanding, conduct a learner-centered assessment, and perform an instructor self-assessment.
Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Airman Certification Standards

  • Note: For single-engine, the evaluator must select Task A or B; Task C, D, or E; Task F, G, or H; and Task I. For multiengine the evaluator must select Task A and Task C, D, or E.
  • Task C: 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.
  • Objective: To determine the applicant understands power-off stalls, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.
  • References: AC 61-67; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-9, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM
Knowledge 6 ACS Elements
  • AI.X.C.K1:
    Purpose of and procedures for power-off stalls.
  • AI.X.C.K2:
    Aerodynamics associated with stalls in various airplane configurations, including the relationship between angle of attack, airspeed, load factor, power setting, airplane weight and center of gravity, airplane attitude, and yaw effects.
  • AI.X.C.K3:
    Stall characteristics as they relate to airplane design, and recognition impending stall and full stall indications using sight, sound, or feel.
  • AI.X.C.K4:
    Factors and situations that can lead to a power-off stall and actions that can be taken to prevent it.
  • AI.X.C.K5:
    Fundamentals of stall recovery.
  • AI.X.C.K6:
    Common errors related to this Task.
Risk Management 8 ACS Elements
  • AI.X.C.R1:
    Factors and situations that could lead to an inadvertent power-off stall, spin, and loss of control.
  • AI.X.C.R2:
    Range and limitations of stall warning indicators (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc.).
  • AI.X.C.R3:
    Stall warning(s) during normal operations.
  • AI.X.C.R4:
    Stall recovery procedure.
  • AI.X.C.R5:
    Secondary stalls, accelerated stalls, and cross-control stalls.
  • AI.X.C.R6:
    Effect of environmental elements on airplane performance related to power-off stalls (e.g., turbulence, microbursts, and high-density altitude).
  • AI.X.C.R7:
    Collision hazards.
  • AI.X.C.R8:
    Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
Skills 11 ACS Elements
  • AI.X.C.S1:
    Clear the area.
  • AI.X.C.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).
  • AI.X.C.S3:
    Configure the airplane in the approach or landing configuration, as specified by the evaluator, and maintain coordinated flight throughout the maneuver.
  • AI.X.C.S4:
    Establish a stabilized descent.
  • AI.X.C.S5:
    Transition smoothly from the approach or landing attitude to a pitch attitude that induces a stall.
  • AI.X.C.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.
  • AI.X.C.S7:
    Acknowledge the cues at the first indication of a stall (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc.).
  • AI.X.C.S8:
    Recover at the first indication of a stall or after a full stall has occurred, as specified by the evaluator.
  • AI.X.C.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).
  • AI.X.C.S10:
    Return to the altitude, heading, and airspeed specified by the evaluator.
  • AI.X.C.S11:
    Analyze and correct common errors related to this Task.
Flight Instructor (Airplane) Power-Off Stalls Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Effective instruction in power-Off Stalls helps learners build sound judgment, technical competence, and safe operating habits.

  • Closure:

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