Commercial pilot · ACS CA.VII.A
Maneuvering During Slow Flight
Slow flight is flying at high angle of attack, just above where a stall warning would start, while you turn, climb and descend, to a commercial pilot's precision.
Why this one matters
Loss of control is the leading cause of fatal general aviation accidents, and it usually starts slow and low: on climb-out, in the pattern, or while distracted. A commercial pilot carries passengers into exactly those phases. Slow flight builds the feel for an airplane near the edge, so you notice it and correct before a stall, not after.
Can’t miss
- •A wing stalls when it exceeds its critical angle of attack, at any airspeed, attitude or power setting.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- •Slow flight is flown at the airspeed where any more angle of attack, more load factor or less power would give a stall warning; there is no warning during the maneuver.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.A.S3-S4)
- •On the back side of the power curve (below the speed for best L/D), induced drag rises steeply as you slow, so holding altitude slower takes more power. There, pitch sets angle of attack and airspeed and power sets altitude (both affect both): add power to stop a descent, don't pull. If a stall warning sounds, lower the angle of attack first.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- •Stall speed rises with load factor, weight and a forward center of gravity; in a level 60° bank it is about 41% higher.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- •Fly it about 5 to 10 knots above the 1G stall speed in the configuration asked (typically landing configuration), short of the stall warning; turns shallow, about 20° or less, remembering stall speed rises in a turn. Left-turning tendencies are strong and the controls less effective: lead power changes with rudder and keep the ball centered.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- •Commercial standard: altitude ±50 feet, heading ±10°, airspeed +5/-0 knots, bank ±5°.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.A.S5)
- •Finish no lower than 1,500 feet AGL in a single-engine airplane, 3,000 feet AGL in a multiengine airplane.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.A.S2)
What you should know
The aerodynamics K1
- To hold altitude while slowing, you must raise the angle of attack. The wing always stalls at the same critical angle of attack; the airspeed where that happens changes.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- More load factor or weight raises the stall speed; a forward center of gravity raises it because the tail pushes down harder. Flaps lower it by raising the wing's maximum lift. Power lowers the measured 1G stall speed (thrust carries some of the weight and the slipstream energizes the inboard wing), but the critical angle of attack is the same.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- High power at low airspeed means strong left-turning tendencies (P-factor, torque, spiraling slipstream): expect a lot of right rudder in level flight and climbs, but the right input is whatever centers the ball, and it differs in turns. At high angle of attack, adverse yaw from the down aileron is strong too. In a twin with both engines running, VMC isn't the limit (it applies with an engine out); fly to the stall-warning threshold.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins; Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), multiengine airplanes)
How it's flown R3 · R5
- Choose a practice area clear of terrain, obstacles and wires, with a forced-landing option in mind; clear it with clearing turns before each maneuver, and keep looking outside while you fly it, especially when the high nose blocks the view ahead.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- Reduce power, raise the nose to hold altitude as speed decays, configure as asked, then add power to stop at the target speed. Trim.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- Hold airspeed with pitch and altitude with power. Turns, climbs and descents are gentle and coordinated: uncoordinated flight at high angle of attack is the setup for a spin.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- To exit: maximum allowable power, forward pressure to reduce the angle of attack while holding altitude and coordination (and leveling the wings as needed), then retract the flaps in increments only as airspeed builds (all at once at low speed and the airplane sinks), gear as the POH says, and trim.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
Warnings and the environment R1 · R2 · R4
- Stall warnings (horn, light) must start at least 5 knots above the stall in each configuration, typically 5 to 10 knots (check the POH), and continue to the stall; they are angle-of-attack driven and can fail, and in an accelerated stall the warning comes at a higher speed. Buffet differs between airplanes. Know the other cues: mushy controls, quieter air noise, a high nose, sink.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- Inadvertent slow flight is the danger: a steep climb-out, a slow pattern, a tight turn to final. Recognize it and lower the nose before the warning becomes a stall.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
- The high nose blocks the view ahead: clear the area for aircraft, terrain, obstacles and wires first, keep scanning, and use gentle turns to look ahead.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- Turbulence and gusts change the angle of attack suddenly; a microburst or wind shear can drop the airspeed in seconds; at high density altitude there is less power to recover with, and the true airspeed at the stall is higher.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
Staying ahead of it R6
- Distraction is how stalls happen in real flying: a frequency change, a passenger, traffic. Keep a scan outside and inside, and if in doubt, lower the nose first.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
On the flight
ACS standards
- Altitude ±50 feet; heading ±10°; airspeed +5/-0 knots; bank ±5°; no stall warning.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.A.S4-S5)
- Finish no lower than 1,500 feet AGL (ASEL, ASES) or 3,000 feet AGL (AMEL, AMES).(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.A.S2)
What your instructor is watching for
Your instructor watches for clearing turns, airspeed held with pitch and altitude with power, the ball centered, eyes outside, an immediate response to any stall warning, and every number inside the commercial tolerances.
Scenarios
Decide what you would do first, then see the worked answer.
In slow flight with flaps, you begin a gentle left turn and the ball slides right.
What's happening and how do you fix it? See the worked answer
You're skidding: too much left rudder for the turn. Center the ball with right rudder; a skid at high angle of attack is how spins start.
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins
Slow flight in a light twin at 3,500 feet AGL, with the speed close to the red line on the airspeed indicator.
What else limits you? See the worked answer
With both engines running, VMC isn't the limit: it's the minimum control speed with the critical engine out, and the stall-warning threshold is. Slow flight in a twin is usually above VMC anyway; if an engine is failed or simulated, then VMC matters. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), multiengine airplanes
Turbulence on a summer afternoon, flying slow on a long final.
What do you change? See the worked answer
Add a margin to the approach speed (as the POH allows for gusts) and keep the angle of attack lower: a gust can push a wing past the critical angle.
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins
Common mistakes
Chasing altitude with the elevator.
It raises the angle of attack and slows you toward a stall.
Instead: Power for altitude, pitch for airspeed.
Drifting outside +5/-0.
Too slow triggers the warning; too fast misses the standard.
Instead: Trim carefully and make small, early power corrections.
Forgetting rudder as power changes.
Uncoordinated flight near the stall invites a spin.
Instead: Lead power changes with rudder.
Now train it
Say it out loud, hear it asked, and take the quick check in this lesson’s practice pack. It tracks your shaky spots.
Got it?
When it feels solid, practice maneuvering during slow flight out loud with our examiner.
Your progress is saved in this browser. Create a free account to keep it on every device, with your shaky spots and mock oral results in one place.
Go to the source (free)
Teaching this? The instructor lesson plan →
Sources
- Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C): Slow flight, stalls and spins; multiengine airplanes
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C): Aerodynamics of Flight
- AC 120-109A: Stall Prevention and Recovery Training
- AC 61-67C: Stall and Spin Awareness Training
- Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B): Area VII
- Your airplane's POH/AFM: stall recovery, speeds and limitations
Study aid, not FAA guidance. Regulations change; check the current text at eCFR and the ACS. Checked against current sources 2026-11-13.