Stalling — In-flight Notes

CASA Recreational Pilot License (Aeroplane) — Lesson 5

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Language choices

"ease forward" rather than push down or forward.

"reduce angle of attack" — reinforce the concept, not just the action.

Demonstration-Performance

For the sequence of each activity, choose whether you use:

  • Demonstration-Performance: Explain, Demonstrate, Performance and Monitor, Evaluation
  • DDM: Demonstrate, Direct, Monitor
    or some other preference. Each in-flight activity just describes the sequence to be demonstrated and performed, regardless of the method you use.

Before starting the plane

  • Confirm HASELL will be called before every stalling exercise

After departing / established in the climb

  • During transit to the training area, climb to established safe height for recovery by 3000 ft AGL
  • Brief the slow flight coming up: "We'll slow the aircraft down to approach speed and just above the stall — you'll feel the controls become mushy. That's normal."

Slow flight at approach speed (flaps retracted)

Sequence

  • Note control effectiveness at normal cruise
  • Configure aeroplane for slow cruise - 10kt above stall
  • maintain level slow cruise with power and attitude
  • Note the control effectiveness at slow cruise
  • Recover normal cruise
    • power up,
    • balance with rudder,
    • attitude and trim

Slow flight — approach configuration (flaps extended)

Sequence

  • Configure aeroplane for slow cruise, check speed and extend flaps
  • maintain level slow cruise (10 knots above stall) with power and attitude
  • Note the control effectiveness at slow cruise
  • Recover normal cruise
    • power up,
    • balance with rudder,
    • retract flaps when sufficient speed
    • attitude and trim

Stall from straight and level — recovery without power

Sequence - 200-300 ft loss of altitude

  • HASELL - include carb heat check
  • Power to idle, carb heat
  • Maintain height with elevator, balance with rudder, ailerons neutral
  • Note stall symptoms: airspeed sound, stall warning, shuddering, high nose
  • Check attitude indicator
  • When nose drops - Recover:
    • Ease nose forward, lower angle of attack
    • Prevent yaw and roll with rudder,
    • At safe speed, level wings with aileron
    • Once in a normal glide, full power, carb heat cold and regain altitude

Stall from straight and level — recovery with full power

Sequence - Approx 50 ft loss of altitude

  • HASELL - include carb heat check
  • Power to idle, carb heat
  • Maintain height with elevator, balance with rudder, ailerons neutral
  • Note stall symptoms: airspeed sound, stall warning, shuddering, high nose
  • Check attitude indicator
  • When nose drops - Recover:
    • Ease nose further forward to lower angle of attack
    • Apply full power smoothly, carb heat cold
    • Prevent yaw and roll with rudder,
    • At safe speed, level wings with aileron
    • Raise nose to attain level flight again then climb to regain as necessary.

Stall from approach configuration (landing config stall)

Sequence

  • Configure aeroplane for slow cruise - flaps extended
  • HASELL - include carb heat check
  • Power to idle, carb heat
  • Maintain height with elevator, balance with rudder, ailerons neutral
  • Note stall symptoms: airspeed sound, stall warning, shuddering, high nose
  • Note lower nose attitude due to flaps
  • When nose drops - Recover:
    • Ease nose further forward to lower angle of attack
    • Apply full power smoothly, carb heat cold
    • Prevent yaw and roll with rudder,
    • At safe speed, level wings with aileron
    • Raise nose to attain level flight again, retract flaps and climb to regain as necessary.

The stall is pilot-induced — hands off at the warning

The key point: it is the pilot holding the nose up that causes the stall. Release the controls and the aircraft recovers on its own.

Sequence

  • HASELL — include carb heat check
  • Power to idle, carb heat
  • Student raises the nose and holds back pressure to maintain height as speed bleeds off
  • At the stall warning — release all controls (hands and feet off)
  • Observe: nose lowers, speed builds, aircraft settles into a glide at the trimmed speed
  • Be ready to recover if it does not self-recover: ease forward, then power, carb heat cold

Wing drop / spin avoidance — instructor demonstration only

Only if the aeroplane is approved for intentional spinning (check the aircraft flight manual). If it is not, do not fly this demonstration — limit it to wing-drop avoidance and incipient recognition.

Sequence

  • HASELL - include carb heat check
  • Power to idle, carb heat
  • Maintain height with elevator, balance with rudder, ailerons neutral
  • Note stall symptoms: airspeed sound, stall warning, shuddering, high nose
  • Apply rudder to see wing drop during stall (check aircraft manual)
  • Recovery
    • Power - ensure idle
    • Ailerons - ensure neutral
    • Rudder - opposite turn
    • Elevator - nose forward to unstall wings and establish normal flight
  • Slowly ease out of the dive that follows
  • When beginning to climb apply power, set carb heat cold

Return to airport

  • Establish cruise; head back towards the airport
  • Listen to AWIS — note runway in use, circuit direction, QNH
  • Fill in the blanks; student reads the call at 10 NM:

Traffic ___, ________ ___ miles ___ ___ ft, inbound, estimated circuit time __. Plan to join ____________ RWY __

  • Instructor to fly the approach and landing