Low speeds, stalls, spinning… We are now exploring the edges of the aircraft’s flight envelope and learning new skills. This is a fantastic domain to explore, but there are some special precautions that Sunny will take you through to do it safely! Happy landings!
Thanks to our safety partners at Aviaze we can again share with you Sunny Swift - The Movie. Watch the video and then follow the link to check out the different language versions of the cartoon - available in all EU languages. Share with your friends, print it out for your flying club notice board and help spread this important lesson as widely as possible.
https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/news/sunny-swift-slow-fl…
Checks Before Starting a Stall
There are different strategies/ approaches that you can use as a pilot before starting a stall or similar manoeuvres.
APOS Safety Checks from Sunny Swift Edition 25
In Sunny Swift Edition 25 we highlight the APOS approach:
- Altitude.
- Position.
- Orientation.
- Sky Clear.
HASELL Approach from Switzerland
Additionally, after initial publication an additional approach was highlighted from Switzerland using the HASELL approach:
- Height.
- Airframe.
- Safety.
- Engine.
- Location.
- Lookout.
Are you aware of any other approaches that are commonly used? Let us know in the comment section.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Please explain why stall exercises should be restricted to starting from level flight. The FAA Handbook Ch. 4 suggests exploring a range of scenarios, including climb. It indicates smoothly raising the nose and then holding the altitude. Aside from a possibly unrealistic scenario, what are the dangers of a too high pitch angle?
In my opinion, stalling should first be taught from level flight, clean configuration until the warnings and identification of a fully-developed stall have been learned by the student. That may take almost a complete exercise and should begin with recovery without power before the standard stall recovery technique for light aeroplanes is fully understood - full power and control column centrally forward until the stall identification ceases, whilst keeping the aircraft in balance - then maintain that attitude, then and only then level wings and acclerate until climb speed has been achieved.. Recovery at the incipient stage must be taught.
Later, recognition and recovery from a stall in the final turn or in the approach configuration can be taught, but recovery should then be at the incipient stage.
Stalling in the climb is only likely to occur when a pilot is trying to outclimb terrain, hence is likely to include a high power setting. If the stall is taken beyond the incipient stage, a wing drop is highly likely due to propwash effects.
As for the FAA, they also discuss something bizarre termed a 'whip stall' - which should never form part of a LAPL/PPL course!
Nick Wilcock Thank you