Forward Slip to Landing
A forward slip is a way to lose altitude quickly without gaining airspeed by presenting the side of the fuselage to the relative wind. You cross the controls — aileron one way, opposite rudder — while keeping the ground track aligned, increasing drag and the descent rate. It is commonly used to salvage a high approach or to land without flaps.
Step by step
- 1Establish the approach and decide a forward slip is needed to lose excess altitude.
- 2Reduce power as appropriate and lower a wing with aileron while applying opposite rudder.
- 3Adjust the bank and rudder so the airplane’s ground track stays aligned with the runway centerline (the nose will point off to the side).
- 4Lower the nose slightly to keep the airspeed constant — the slip increases drag and descent rate, not speed.
- 5Control the descent rate by varying the amount of slip (more cross-control = more drag).
- 6Before the round-out, smoothly remove the slip (level the wings and center the rudder) to align with the runway.
- 7Complete a normal round-out and landing.
Tips & common errors
- Watch the airspeed — the pitot/static error in a slip can make the indication unreliable; reference attitude and sound too.
- Remove the slip before touchdown unless you are intentionally slipping for a crosswind to touchdown.
- Common error: skidding instead of slipping, or allowing the airspeed to build during the slip.
- Check the POH — some airplanes restrict slips with full flaps.
ACS completion standards
The commonly-tested tolerances for this maneuver. Always confirm the current ACS for your certificate.
- Maintain a safe, constant airspeed during the slip (per POH).
- Use the slip to control the descent path and arrive at the proper point/airspeed for a normal landing.
- Maintain alignment with the intended landing path and remove the slip appropriately for touchdown.
FAA source
FAA-S-ACS-6 (Private Pilot ACS), Task: Forward Slip to a Landing; Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3, Chapter 8.
This is an original, plain-English study summary grounded in the public-domain FAA Airman Certification Standards and FAA handbooks cited above. It is a study aid, not flight instruction, and not a substitute for the official ACS, the handbooks, your aircraft’s POH/AFM, or a certificated flight instructor.
Related maneuvers
- Normal Takeoff & ClimbThe normal takeoff and climb is the baseline departure from a paved runway with little or no wind and no obstacles. You accelerate on the centerline, rotate at the recommended speed, and climb at the best-rate speed (Vy) while staying coordinated.
- Normal Approach & LandingThe normal approach and landing is a stabilized descent to a flare and touchdown on the main wheels at minimum controllable airspeed, with the airplane aligned with and tracking the centerline. Everything else (crosswind, short field, soft field) is a variation on this.
- Crosswind Takeoff & ClimbA crosswind takeoff adds wind from the side. You hold aileron into the wind during the ground roll to keep the upwind wing from rising, then transition to a wind-correction crab once airborne so the airplane tracks the extended centerline.
- Crosswind Approach & LandingIn a crosswind landing you neutralize sideways drift and keep the longitudinal axis aligned with the runway at touchdown. The two common techniques are the crab (corrected to a slip just before touchdown) and the wing-low (sideslip) method held throughout the approach.
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