Commercial pilot · ACS CA.VII.C
Power-On Stalls
A power-on stall is a departure stall done at altitude: takeoff or climb power, the nose raised to the stall, then a prompt, coordinated recovery.
Why this one matters
Departure stalls happen right after takeoff, with little height and a lot of power, so a wing drop can become a spin quickly. A commercial pilot flying passengers, heavy or out of a hot airport, is exactly where a steep climb gets tempting. Practicing the stall at altitude makes the coordinated recovery reflexive.
Can’t miss
- •Power-on stalls simulate takeoff and departure: high power (at least 65%) and a high nose.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins; Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.C.S4)
- •Left-turning tendencies (torque, P-factor, spiraling slipstream, gyroscopic precession) peak at high power and high angle of attack, so right rudder must increase as speed decays. Yaw at the break makes one wing stall deeper and drop, and continued yaw is the spin entry.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- •Recovery: Disconnect the autopilot or wing leveler if engaged; reduce the angle of attack until the stall warning stops; if a wing drops, check the yaw with rudder and keep the ailerons near neutral until the wing is flying, then level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder; add power as needed (watching for left-turning tendency and pitch-up); then return to the desired flight path. The goal is to get the wing flying again, not to save altitude: minimum altitude loss comes from a correct recovery, and holding the nose up to save altitude causes a secondary stall.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
- •Elevator trim stall: full nose-up trim plus full power (a go-around) can pitch the nose up into a stall. Push firmly with the elevator first (the force may be large) to hold a safe attitude, then re-trim nose-down once the attitude is controlled; leave the flaps until airspeed builds through a safe speed, then retract in stages.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
- •Real-world setups: a steep climb-out, a turn after takeoff, a distracted departure, high density altitude.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
- •Commercial standard: heading ±10° straight, or bank not over 20°, ±10° in turns; recover at the first indication or after a full stall, as asked.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.C.S6-S8)
- •Finish no lower than 1,500 feet AGL single-engine, 3,000 feet AGL multiengine.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.C.S2)
What you should know
The aerodynamics K1 · K2
- With high power the stall comes at a lower indicated airspeed and higher nose attitude than power off; the slipstream and thrust help the wing. Weight and load factor raise the stall speed (a climbing departure turn stalls sooner than straight ahead); a forward CG raises it, an aft CG lowers it slightly but makes stall and spin recovery worse.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Left-turning tendencies are strongest here; a skid can drop a wing sharply at the break. Stall characteristics vary by design.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
How it's flown K3 · K4 · R4 · R7
- 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)
- Set the takeoff, departure or cruise configuration as the evaluator asks (gear up in a retractable), slow to normal liftoff speed, coordinated, then set power as assigned, no less than 65%, and raise the nose smoothly to the stall, straight or in a turn up to 20°.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.C.S3-S6)
- Recover: Disconnect the autopilot or wing leveler if engaged; reduce the angle of attack until the stall warning stops; if a wing drops, check the yaw with rudder and keep the ailerons near neutral until the wing is flying, then level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder; add power as needed (watching for left-turning tendency and pitch-up); then return to the desired flight path. The goal is to get the wing flying again, not to save altitude: minimum altitude loss comes from a correct recovery, and holding the nose up to save altitude causes a secondary stall. Then climb at VX or VY.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
- Prevent it: climb at the published speed, not a steeper nose, and keep coordinated in turns after takeoff.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
Warnings, secondary, trim and cross-control stalls R1 · R2 · R3 · R5
- 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)
- A stall warning in a departure climb means lower the nose now.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
- Secondary stall: pulling too soon in the recovery. Elevator trim stall: nose-up trim plus full power on a go-around. Accelerated stall: pulling hard. Cross-control stall: skid plus opposite aileron.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
Environment and attention R6 · R8
- 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)
- 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
- Takeoff, departure or cruise configuration, coordinated, at least 65% power; heading ±10° straight, bank not over 20°, ±10° in a turn, to the stall asked for.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.C.S3-S6)
- Acknowledge the first cue, recover promptly, configure and accelerate to VX or VY, return to the assigned altitude, heading and airspeed; finish no lower than 1,500 feet AGL (3,000 multiengine).(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.C.S2, S7-S10)
What your instructor is watching for
Your instructor watches for coordination at high power, a smooth pitch-up, prompt angle-of-attack reduction, wings leveled with coordinated aileron and rudder, no secondary stall, and the commercial tolerances.
Scenarios
Decide what you would do first, then see the worked answer.
At the break, the left wing drops sharply.
What do you do? See the worked answer
Reduce the angle of attack first, then level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder; avoid big aileron while still stalled.
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins
Going around with full flaps and nose-up trim, the nose rises steeply.
What's happening? See the worked answer
An elevator trim stall in the making: push forward firmly with the elevator to hold a safe attitude (that is the recovery), re-trim nose-down once it's under control, and retract the flaps in steps only as airspeed builds.
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins
After takeoff, a passenger asks a question as you turn crosswind and the horn chirps.
What do you do? See the worked answer
Fly first: lower the nose, keep coordinated, then answer when the climb is stable.
Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A)
Common mistakes
Too little right rudder.
A wing drops at the stall.
Instead: Keep the ball centered all the way.
Too abrupt a pitch-up.
It turns the maneuver into an accelerated stall.
Instead: Raise the nose smoothly.
Using aileron to pick up a dropped wing while still stalled.
It can deepen the stall on that wing.
Instead: Lower the angle of attack first, then coordinated controls.
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 power-on stalls out loud with our examiner.
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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.