← Train

Commercial pilot · ACS CA.VII.C · lesson pack

Power-On Stalls

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.

1 · Know these cold

  • •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)

2 · The lesson

The aerodynamics
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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))

Want it all on one page, with scenarios? Read the full lesson.

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.

3 · Say it out loud

Answer each one out loud, then check yourself and mark how it went.

  1. Remember Recall it

    “What power setting is used for power-on stalls on the commercial checkride?”

  2. Understand Explain why

    “Why is a wing more likely to drop in a power-on stall?”

  3. Apply Use it on a flight

    “Departing a high-elevation airport heavy, the climb is anemic and you want more. What do you do?”

4 · 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.

5 · Quick check

Answer, then reveal. Flag anything you want to see again.

  1. 1. What does a power-on stall simulate?

  2. 2. What is the bank limit and tolerance for a turning power-on stall?

  3. 3. What is an elevator trim stall?

  4. 4. What is the minimum altitude for completing power-on stalls in a single-engine airplane?

  5. Scenario5. A wing drops at the stall. What is your first action?

Trained it? Now prove it: practice power-on stalls out loud with our examiner.

Start a practice oral on this task

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.

Connect it

One situation that runs across this lesson and its neighbors in the same ACS area. Decide first, then check.

Connect it · Slow Flight & Stalls

Turning to avoid traffic, you pull hard in a steep bank at cruise power and the airframe buffets well above the published stall speed.

What happened, what's the recovery, and what makes it dangerous? Decide, then see the worked answer

An accelerated stall: the wing reached its critical angle of attack under a higher load factor, so at an airspeed above the 1 G stall speed. Stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor: about 1.41 times the 1 G stall speed at 2 G, twice it at 4 G. Accelerated stalls tend to break more abruptly and more severely than 1 G stalls, often with a wing drop, and can cost a lot of altitude. Recover by unloading first: release back pressure until the buffet and the stall stop. Then roll the wings level with coordinated controls, then add power as needed. Power doesn't unstall a wing; only reducing the angle of attack does. A spin needs a stalled wing plus yaw, so uncoordinated rudder at that moment, or aileron used to pick up a dropping wing while still stalled, can roll it into one. Speed matters too. At or below maneuvering speed, the wing stalls before the airplane reaches its limit load factor, which protects the structure. Above it, a hard pull can exceed the limit load factor before the wing reaches its critical angle of attack, with no stall to protect you. Maneuvering speed decreases as weight decreases.

AFH (FAA-H-8083-3C), Maintaining Aircraft Control; PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight

Brings together: Accelerated Stalls · Spin Awareness

Teaching this? The instructor lesson plan →

Study aid, not FAA guidance. Sources: Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C); Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C); AC 120-109A; AC 61-67C; Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B); Your airplane's POH/AFM. Checked against current sources 2026-11-13.