How to fly the maneuver

A power-off stall simulates an approach-to-landing stall — the airplane is configured to land (full flaps, throttle at or near idle, descending) and the pilot deliberately pulls back on the elevator until the wing stalls. The maneuver builds recognition of stall cues in the configuration where stalls actually happen in flight (on final approach), and rehearses the recovery so it's automatic when the same scenario occurs unintentionally.

Pitch input is the primary recovery control. Modern stall teaching leads with reducing angle of attack (push the nose down or relax back pressure) before adding power. Older texts sometimes lead with power; the FAA's current guidance and industry consensus reverse the order. The reason: a stalled wing doesn't fly, regardless of engine output — power can't keep an over-AoA wing producing lift. AoA reduction first; power restores altitude after.

Setup

1. Climb to maneuvering altitude — at least 1,500 ft AGL, ideally 3,000+ ft so recovery completes well above the surface.
2. Clear the area with two 90° clearing turns.
3. Pick a visual heading reference.

Configure for approach-to-landing

1. Reduce power to a descent setting (typically 1,500 RPM or carb heat warm-up power).
2. Add flaps incrementally as airspeed bleeds — first notch, second notch, full flaps.
3. Trim for a stabilized approach airspeed (V_REF range).
4. Allow the airplane to establish a stable descending approach — similar to a final approach (IV.B). The DPE wants to see the simulated approach, not just a stall.

Induce the stall

1. Smoothly reduce power to idle (if not already there).
2. Smoothly raise the nose to a pitch attitude above the descent attitude — typically up through level flight, then nose-high.
3. Continue back pressure to increase angle of attack progressively. The airspeed bleeds; the airplane decelerates.
4. The maneuver may be flown straight ahead or in up to 20° bank turning entry (VII.B.S2). Both are evaluated.

Recognize the first indication

VII.B.S3 requires the pilot to recognize and announce the first indication of stall. Cues include:

• Stall warning horn (the most reliable cue in trained pilots — typically activates 5–10 KIAS above actual stall).
• Aerodynamic buffet — vibration through the airframe as airflow over the wing root begins to separate.
• Sluggish controls — ailerons and elevator response degraded.
• High sink rate — VSI dropping rapidly.
• Nose drop without pilot input — the airplane "breaking" into the stall.

The annunciation is verbal: "Stall warning" or "Stall" out loud to the DPE.

Recover

1. Reduce angle of attack first — release back pressure smoothly, or push the nose down. The pitch attitude should drop to at least level flight, possibly slightly nose-down.
2. Apply full power simultaneously — throttle full forward smoothly.
3. Level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder.
4. Minimize altitude loss — but don't pull aggressively to prevent altitude loss. Pulling re-stalls the airplane. The standard is "minimum altitude loss consistent with proper recovery" — not zero.
5. Recover to climb — V_Y, then retract flaps incrementally as airspeed builds past each flap-limit speed.

Common pitfall: pulling through the stall. A pilot who feels the buffet and instinctively pulls back deepens the stall — the wing drops further into separated flow. The fix is the modern recovery sequence: reduce AoA first. Pulling back on a stalled wing is a feedback loop that ends in spin entry if uncoordinated (cross-ref to VII.D for the spin pedagogy).