Slow flight is one of the foundational maneuvers in primary flight training, and for good reason. When you fly at airspeeds just above the stall—what the Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH) calls "the region of reversed command" or the "back side of the power curve"—the normal relationship between pitch and power flips. Understanding this reversal, setting up the maneuver correctly, and recognizing where students (and instructors) commonly go wrong are essential skills for any CFI candidate.
In normal cruise flight, adding back-pressure raises the nose and increases altitude, while power changes manage speed. In the region of reversed command, however, maintaining altitude at a very low airspeed requires a large power addition, and small pitch increases actually increase drag so much that altitude can only be held with even more power. Lift is still equal to weight, but induced drag is very high, and the airplane is essentially "hanging on the propeller." This is the aerodynamic reality the maneuver is designed to ingrain.
Setting Up Slow Flight
According to the AFH, slow flight should be performed at an airspeed where the airplane is fully configured and controllable but is approaching a stall. The standard procedure goes like this:
- Clear the area with a series of clearing turns to check for traffic. The maneuver should be conducted at an altitude high enough that recovery can be completed no lower than 1,500 feet AGL, per ACS guidance, so there is adequate margin if a stall develops.
- Configure the airplane. Reduce power smoothly, apply carb heat if applicable, and extend flaps in increments as airspeed enters the white arc. Trim as needed throughout.
- Establish the target airspeed. The AFH defines slow flight as an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, reduction in power, or change in pitch/bank would result in an immediate stall warning (aural, artificial, or the onset of buffet). Add power as needed to arrest the descent and hold altitude.
- Maintain coordination. At low speeds, adverse yaw is pronounced. Students must use coordinated rudder with every bank input. Skidding turns at slow flight speeds are a precursor to a spin.
Executing the Maneuver
Once established, the pilot should demonstrate straight-and-level flight, turns, climbs, and descents—all while remaining in the slow-flight regime. Key technique points include:
- Power primarily manages altitude, pitch primarily manages airspeed in the region of reversed command—but the AFH emphasizes that pitch and power are used together, not as a rigid either/or rule. To climb, add power first; to descend, reduce power. Pitch adjustments fine-tune airspeed.
- Turns should be shallow to medium bank and coordinated, consistent with the bank angles specified in the applicable ACS task, to avoid a steeply-banked uncoordinated situation that can lead to a stall/spin.
- Trim is your friend. Constant back-pressure without trimming fatigues the pilot and causes attitude drift.
- Watch the stall warning device continuously. Its activation is the signal that your buffer above stall is dangerously thin.
Why It Matters
The traffic pattern—especially final approach and the base-to-final turn—is where the vast majority of stall/spin accidents occur. Pilots who are unfamiliar with the back side of the power curve are most likely to inadvertently slow into a stall while fixated on the runway. By drilling slow flight until the pitch-power relationship is second nature, you build the muscle memory that can prevent a fatal low-altitude stall. The FAA's Risk Management Handbook consistently identifies the low-altitude stall/spin as one of the highest-risk accident scenarios, making slow flight one of the highest-value training maneuvers.
Memory Aid
For the reversed-command region, instructors often use the phrase: "Back side of the curve—power for altitude, pitch for speed." It directly reverses the normal-flight instinct and is easy to recall under pressure.
Common Test Traps
- "Add back-pressure to climb" trap. In slow flight, pulling back increases drag so much that altitude actually decreases without a simultaneous power increase. The correct response to an altitude loss in slow flight is to add power first, then adjust pitch.
- Confusing configuration with airspeed. Slow flight requires a specific airspeed range, not just flaps and gear down. Students who extend flaps but leave the airspeed too high are not truly in the maneuver.
- Uncoordinated turns. A skidding turn in slow flight (outside rudder in a bank) can produce a cross-control stall. The test often asks about the hazard of skidding turns at low airspeeds.
- Recovery procedure. The AFH describes slow-flight recovery as simultaneously adding full power and reducing the angle of attack (pitch forward slightly) to accelerate above stall speed, then retracting flaps in increments as airspeed permits—not all at once.