Respect, Not Fear the Value of Practicing Stalls by STEVE KROG

Respect, Not Fear the Value of Practicing Stalls by STEVE KROG

STEVE KROG COMMENTARY / THE CLASSIC INSTRUCTOR Respect, Not Fear The value of practicing stalls BY STEVE KROG MENTION STALLS TO A student or established general aviation pilot and it dealt with stalls. This anxiety was then beads of sweat appear on their respective foreheads. Movies, hangar deepened by the fear of a potential spin. talk, and sometimes less than adequate flight instruction have done a What a shame these folks missed out on, in great disservice to understanding and safely practicing stalls. I know some cases, years of fun flying because of a what I’m talking about, because I was one of those inadequate bad experience that was unsuccessfully instructors when I first joined the profession of flight instruction. dealt with by the flight instructor. I had a true fear of stalls after an instructor scared me to the point that I no longer wanted to fly. Two flight lessons and I was WHERE STALLS OCCUR AND ready to give it up and pursue canoeing. Unknowingly entering a WHY WE PRACTICE THEM three- or four-turn spin out of a power-off stall was enough to con- Decades of tabulated incident and accident vince me my passion for flying was misdirected. Thankfully, another data tells us approximately 80 percent of all instructor recognized my plight and took over my training program. stall or stall/spin accidents occur in the traf- Had it not been for him, I doubt I would have gone back to flying. fic pattern, which also means they occur at Over the past decade, I’ve met with individuals who began taking an altitude of 1,000 feet AGL or less. The flight instruction but then gave it up. One of the reasons: experiencing majority occur in the downwind to landing something that caused a deep-seated fear that was never properly phases of the traffic pattern. Why? dealt with by his or her instructor. Thankfully, many of those who quit A pilot, knowing when a stall will occur, flight training for that reason never truly will generally recover and return to safe, lost interest and later stepped forward level flight in approximately 350 feet. Stalls are not inherently dangerous. wanting to try again, be it five, 10, or more However, should an unexpected stall occur, years after giving it up. Most often, the altitude loss is significantly greater, some- The airplane wants to fly, and desire to succeed and overcome that fear times in the range of 700 feet or more, comes to mind when seeing a small air- leaving a very small margin of error to when stalled it is only seeking an plane fly overhead. recover and return to safe, level flight. That I’ve had the pleasure of working with is one reason why a good instructor will attitude or configuration where it a number of these individuals, helping spend more than an adequate amount of can fly again, provided the pilot them overcome the fear and, finally, time on stall recognition and recovery, achieve the enjoyment and accomplish- ensuring the student fully understands the is not fighting the situation. ment of flying an airplane. When aerodynamics while developing the skill set discussing this fear with students and to comfortably recognize and handle a safe learning what caused it, nearly every time stall recovery. PRACTICING STALLS Practice the inherent stall by reducing power and raising the nose, bleeding off airspeed until the buffeting is felt. Then initiate normal stall recovery. 24 May 2018 ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON JACOBS WHY AND HOW DO STALLS OCCUR floor, and tell me when they feel the buf- Single-engine general aviation airplanes feting in the seat of their pants as I were meant to fly. And if the center of maneuver the aircraft into an inherent gravity and gross weight limitations are stall. I’ll temporarily disable the stall observed, the airplane wants to fly and warning horn when practicing this exer- will seek an attitude in which it can do so. cise. This practice, I’ve found, quickly and Properly trimmed and rigged, an air- greatly enhances the students’ sense of plane’s nose will pitch downward when initial stall recognition. power is reduced and upward when With a level of comfort and confidence power is added. It doesn’t want to fall out established, I have students take the con- of the sky. trols and demonstrate an inherent stall. It is the responsibility of the pilot to assist the aircraft in flying efficiently and in a coordinated manner. However, pilots sometimes overlook this responsibility or take the airplane’s ability for granted. It is the responsibility of the pilot to While doing so, I also have them verbally assist the aircraft in flying efficiently and describe each step of the stall, pointing in a coordinated manner. However, pilots out the first “feeling” of the buffeting. sometimes overlook this responsibility or After a half-dozen repetitions, we take the airplane’s ability for granted. I’ve expand to the full stall where the break encountered situations like this when occurs and recovery is initiated. Again, conducting flight reviews. If I ask pilots I’ll demonstrate one or two full stalls why they are, or are not, doing some- with students following me on the con- thing, and they reply, “Don’t worry, it’ll trols and then turn the controls over to Answers handle it,” I get concerned. Complacency them. I will have students talk me has been the cause of many incidents. through each step of the stall as it devel- Entering and establishing oneself in ops. I’ve found that when students are when you the traffic pattern is a time of possible explaining the stall while demonstrating distraction. There may be numerous it, the desired level of confidence is other aircraft that need to be observed, achieved much more rapidly. It makes no need them. passengers may want to ask a lot of difference in the age of a student, questions, winds and turbulence may whether 16 or 66 — having students require adjustments, and the pre-land- explain each step of the stall while per- ing checklist needs to be completed. All forming it works. of these things require the attention of Once this level of competence and the pilot in command. Anxiety can add confidence is reached, it’s quite easy to to the potential for a problem such as a move to the power-off stalls with shal- stall while turning from the base to the low bank left or right. The fear of the Flight Computer final approach leg. stall is gone, and we can then concen- trate on proper rudder inputs. HOW TO PRACTICE STALLS Demonstrating and verbalizing by the Ground School Preflight Enroute AND BUILD CONFIDENCE instructor with the student following When teaching the stall series to students, through on the controls allows the stu- I like to first discuss it using a model air- dent to see and feel the new sensation of craft for a visual. Then, when established a wing dropping while the nose pitches in the air and at a comfortable, safe alti- downward during the full stall. After a tude, I’ll demonstrate a power-off stall up half-dozen repetitions left and right, the to the stall break, now commonly referred student has reached a level of confi- to by the FAA as an inherent stall. Then, dence that will enable him or her to fly asa2fly.com/CX-3 I’ll have students remove their hands and with confidence, not fearing — but still feet from the controls, look down at the respecting — a stall. www.eaa.org 25 ASA-EAA-CX-3.indd 1 10/5/17 3:25 PM STEVE KROG I teach power-on stalls using the same significantly increases the student’s ability nose while not allowing the bank to increase. method. However, I use a progressive style to handle the aircraft while building the In this configuration, I’ve been known to gen- when doing so. I first use about a one-third level of confidence. tly apply additional left rudder. As the buffet power setting, for example, 1200 rpm. Then I is felt the student prepares for the right or move to an approximate two-thirds power I’ve found that when students high wing to drop. And all of a sudden the setting and conduct a full series of power-on airplane banks hard left. stalls. Finally, full power is used. The progres- are explaining the stall while After the student recognizes the situa- sive step method aids in building recognition, tion and initiates recovery, we discuss what proper reaction, and confidence. demonstrating it, the desired just happened. It’s a situation a pilot can Should I encounter a student who is still encounter when distracted, and one nobody apprehensive or gets too anxious when level of confidence is achieved wants to experience in real life. doing stalls, I’ll have the student perform a Stalls are not inherently dangerous. The version of the “falling leaf,” whereby I han- much more rapidly. airplane wants to fly, and when stalled it is dle the power, ailerons, and elevator, while only seeking an attitude or configuration the student has the rudder pedals. Entering One final stall exercise I like to work on where it can fly again, provided the pilot is stalls and stall breaks from various atti- with students is the recognition of and recov- not fighting the situation. If stalls are uncom- tudes requires the student to use the rudder ery from a cross-controlled stall.

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