Maintaining Control in Stalls

jspeed87

jspeed87

Well-Known Member
I got a little scared today practicing stalls with my instructor. The wing dropped a little to the left as I was pulling way back on the yoke to stall. My instructor reacted quick with right rudder and said if he didn't react to it wiuld enter a spin. He said to try keep the wings level when approaching the stall, but it's so hard to do. Should I be using ailerons or rudder to keep it level as I'm pulling back? :confused:
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Rudder should be used to maintain alignment. Ailerons are almost useless (if not totally) in a stall due to the airflow (or lack thereof) over the wing.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

As you're pulling back (read: before stall breaks) use ailerons to keep wings level while using rudder to keep the ball centered. When the stall breaks and that wing drops promptly apply opposite rudder.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

jspeed87 said:
I got a little scared today practicing stalls with my instructor. The wing dropped a little to the left as I was pulling way back on the yoke to stall. My instructor reacted quick with right rudder and said if he didn't react to it wiuld enter a spin. He said to try keep the wings level when approaching the stall, but it's so hard to do. Should I be using ailerons or rudder to keep it level as I'm pulling back? :confused:
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The ailerons are practically useless near a stall. Use the rudder; forcefully if needed. It retains a lot of authority at speeds even below stall.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

jspeed87 said:
I got a little scared today practicing stalls with my instructor. The wing dropped a little to the left as I was pulling way back on the yoke to stall. My instructor reacted quick with right rudder and said if he didn't react to it wiuld enter a spin. He said to try keep the wings level when approaching the stall, but it's so hard to do. Should I be using ailerons or rudder to keep it level as I'm pulling back? :confused:
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right rudder is always your friend.....if you keep your wings level as you approach the stall, it will be much more comforting for you.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

I like to do a power on stall turning to the right, put my feet on the floor, and enjoy the ride :)
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Ok thanks guys. More right rudder! and my CFI is going to show me spins soon can't wait. :D
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Usually I take a deep breath and count to ten if I feel like I'm losing control. If that doesn't work I chant "Serenity now, serenity now."
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

at1024 said:
I like to do a power on stall turning to the right, put my feet on the floor, and enjoy the ride :)
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haha dude power on stalls are cool. I feel like I'm climbing to space. You really have to pull all the way back on it!
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

One thing I like to do with students is pull up into a clean power off stall and at the break keep in the full aft elevator and apply full left aileron the full right aileron deflection to show the ineffectiveness of ailerons in a stall.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

jspeed87 said:
haha dude power on stalls are cool. I feel like I'm climbing to space. You really have to pull all the way back on it!
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You are correct. What's really fun is accelerated stalls and cross control stalls.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Keep the wings level, and bleed your airspeed off with a relatively level pitch attitude. Just wait for it to bleed off. Don't yank back on the yoke to slow your airspeed. For power-on stalls, find a pitch attitude that will bleed your airspeed at about 1 knot per second. Keep your feet on the rudder pedals and if you feel a wing dip, push in with opposite rudder. Just remember, especially with power-on stalls, to not recover from a wing low situation with aileron. This will just aggravate the stall. Don't be scared, these planes (training a/c) are designed to be very forgiving. You won't plummet out of the sky or find yourself in a fully developed spin. Just remember to REACT WITH RUDDER, NOT AILERON, and you'll be fine. Practice, practice, practice. Good luck.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

just level the ailerons and give it full left rudder as it breaks.....for some good follow-on training.....

:)
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Stalls scared me when I was a PPL student. They scared my instructor too.

I never really felt comfortable with them until I actually did spin training during my CFI school. Once I started spinning, I laughed at my fear of a stall. I think it was the unknown of what a spin actually was.

It will be a good thing for your instructor to spin you. I wish mine had.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Might want to look at the left turning tendencies of a single engine piston aircraft.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

Entered the incipient phase of a spin today while doing stalls in an aircraft that is not approved for spins. Used ailerons only and no rudder just for the hell of it.
 
Re: Maintaing Control in Stalls

LoadMasterC141 said:
Stalls scared me when I was a PPL student. They scared my instructor too.

I never really felt comfortable with them until I actually did spin training during my CFI school. Once I started spinning, I laughed at my fear of a stall. I think it was the unknown of what a spin actually was.

It will be a good thing for your instructor to spin you. I wish mine had.
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Oh man, don't open that can of worms.

You may as well bring up FBO vs Academy, PFT vs traditional, pitch/power for speed/climb, static vs rolling takeoff, etc, etc
 
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