Power-on (Departure) Stalls

OBJECTIVE: To develop the pilot’s ability to recognize an approaching stall by sound, sight, and feel; familiarize the pilot with the conditions that produce power-on stalls; and to develop the habit of taking prompt preventative or corrective action to recover from a stall.  
ELEMENTS
  • Aerodynamics of power-on stalls 
  • Relationship of various factors such as landing gear and flap configuration, weight, center of gravity, load factor, and bank angle to stall speed 
  • Flight situations where unintentional power-on stalls may occur 
  • Entry technique and minimum entry altitude 
  • Performance of power-on stalls in climbing flight (straight or turning) 
  • Coordination of flight controls 
  • Recognition of the first indications of power-on stalls 
  • Recovery technique and minimum recovery altitude 
  • COMPLETION STANDARDS
  • Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to power-on stalls 
  • Selects an entry altitude that allows the task to be completed no lower than 1,500 feet AGL 
  • Establishes the takeoff or departure configuration 
  • Sets power to no less than 65 percent available power 
  • Transitions smoothly from the takeoff or departure attitude to the pitch attitude that will induce a stall.
  • Maintains a specified heading, ±10°, in straight flight; maintains a specified angle of bank not to exceed 20°, ±10°, in turning flight, while inducing the stall 
  • Recognizes and recovers promptly after the stall occurs by simultaneously reducing the angle of attack, increasing power as appropriate, and leveling the wings to return to a straight-and-level flight attitude with a minimum loss of altitude appropriate for the airplane 
  • Retracts the flaps to the recommended setting; retracts the landing gear if retractable, after a positive rate of climb is established 
  • Accelerates to Vx or Vy speed before the final flap retraction; returns to the altitude, heading, and airspeed 
COMMON ERRORS
  • Failure to adequately clear the area 
  • Failure to establish the specified landing gear and flap configuration prior to entry 
  • Improper pitch, heading, and bank control during straight ahead and turning stalls 
  • Rough or uncoordinated control technique 
  • Inability to recognize and announce an approaching stall condition 
  • Over-reliance on the airspeed indicator while excluding other cues 
  • Inadequate scanning resulting in an unintentional wing-low condition during entry 
  • Excessive back-elevator pressure resulting in an exaggerated nose-up attitude during entry 
  • Failure to achieve a stall 
  • Premature recovery 
  • Poor stall recognition and delayed recovery 
  • Excessive altitude loss during recovery 
  • Excessive forward-elevator pressure during recovery resulting in negative load on the wings 
  • Excessive airspeed buildup during recovery 
  • Inadequate rudder control 
  • Inadvertent secondary stall during recovery 
  • Failure to take timely action to prevent a full stall during the conduct of imminent stalls 

THINGS TO REMEMBER
  • Beware power on stalls with flaps!!! (Spin) (Stall starts at outboard edge of flap instead of wing root; wing twist is typically insufficient in flaps down configuration.) 
  • In some high performance airplanes, the power setting may have to be reduced below the practical test standards guideline power setting to prevent excessively high pitch attitudes (greater than 30° nose up) 
  • How this relates to a full-stall landing 
  • Aggressive use of the yoke means an aggressive stall; slower control movements give a gentler stall - let pilot do all slow airspeed work if fearful, gradually going slower or adding more power until able to perform maneuver 
  • Stall is a wing drop, full aft stick, or the nose dropping 
  • Spin Recovery = PARE (Power - IDLE, Aileron - NEUTRAL, Rudder - OPPOSITE, Elevator - FORWARD) 
TRICKS
  • In the set up, use ailerons to hold the wings level and rudder to hold zero rate of turn. 
  • At the stall, neutralize the ailerons and do not use them again until the stall horn is off. 
  • In the straight ahead stall, hold zero rate of turn with rudder pressure (step on the high wing). 
  • In the recovery, make changes in elevator pressure slowly. Once the stall horn ceases, no more forward elevator is necessary. Zero-G recoveries are not necessary. 
  • Ask Pilot: What (and why) will the steady-state rudder and aileron inputs be in:
  • MCA, straight 
  • MCA, right turn 
  • MCA, left turn 

STUDY
  • “Airplane Flying Handbook” Ch. 4

Power-on Stall Procedures

  • Clear area. 
  • Execute pre-landing checklist, hold the flaps and gear for now. 
  • Choose a visual reference on the horizon; point it out and align the aircraft with it. 
  • Reduce power to 1800-2000 rpm to reduce airspeed (to 70 KIAS, typical), while maintaining 0 VSI with increasing backpressure. 
  • Pitch to an attitude that will result in a stall and set power as desired (min 65%). 
  • Use ailerons to maintain wings level, rudder to maintain 0 rate of turn. 
  • As airspeed decays, increased backpressure will be required to maintain pitch attitude. Airspeed decay should be not greater than 1 knot/second. 
  • Announce onset of aerodynamic warning (buffet) (initiate recovery hear for an incipient stall; if not, continue to full stall). 
  • Continue increasing backpressure until stall occurs. 
  • Pitch down to or just slightly below the horizon (may require only relaxing some of the back-pressure) while simultaneously adding full power. 
  • Keep the turn coordinator on zero with rudder pressure (step on the high wing). 
  • Once the stall horn ceases, begin slowly pitching up towards a Vx climb attitude. Listen for the stall horn; if it comes on, back off a little on the backpressure. If it stops, increase the backpressure. Continue pitching up at edge of stall horn until reaching the known Vx attitude. 
  • Climb away at Vx, holding 0 rate of turn with rudder pressure. 
  • Execute climb checklist.