Power-On Stall (Departure Stall)
A power-on stall simulates the stall that can happen on takeoff or initial climb — takeoff power, takeoff/departure configuration, nose high. Torque and P-factor make the airplane want to roll/yaw left, so coordinated rudder is essential to a clean recovery.
Step by step
- 1Clear the area and slow to the rotation/lift-off speed in the takeoff or departure configuration.
- 2Apply takeoff power (or the reduced power specified) and smoothly raise the nose to a steep, stall-inducing pitch attitude.
- 3Use right rudder to counter the strong left-turning tendency and keep the airplane coordinated and on heading (or specified bank).
- 4At the first indication of the stall (or full stall, as specified), begin recovery.
- 5Recover: reduce the angle of attack by lowering the nose to break the stall while applying/maintaining full power.
- 6Level the wings with coordinated controls; return to a normal climb attitude and airspeed.
- 7Climb at Vy with minimum altitude loss.
Tips & common errors
- Anticipate a lot of right rudder — at high power and high AOA the left-turning tendencies are strong.
- Lower the nose to reduce AOA; power is already in, so the recovery is mostly about breaking the AOA and keeping coordinated.
- Common error: using aileron to pick up a dropping wing (use rudder), or holding the nose too high (secondary stall).
- Keep the ball centered — an uncoordinated power-on stall is a classic spin entry.
ACS completion standards
The commonly-tested tolerances for this maneuver. Always confirm the current ACS for your certificate.
- Establish the takeoff/departure configuration and pitch to induce the stall.
- Recognize and recover promptly at the first indication (or full stall, as specified) by reducing AOA with power applied.
- Maintain heading ±10° (wings level) or specified bank ±10° (turning); avoid a secondary stall; minimize altitude loss.
FAA source
FAA-S-ACS-6 (Private) / FAA-S-ACS-7 (Commercial), Task: Power-On Stalls; Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3, Chapter 4.
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
- Maneuvering During Slow FlightSlow flight is sustained flight at a low airspeed just above the stall warning, where the airplane is on the back side of the power curve and controls feel mushy. You learn to control altitude, heading, and airspeed precisely with coordinated use of pitch, power, and trim. Per the current ACS, slow flight is flown at a speed above the one that would activate the stall warning.
- Power-Off Stall (Approach-to-Landing Stall)A power-off stall simulates the stall that can occur in the approach/landing configuration — power reduced, flaps and gear down, descending. You recognize the aerodynamic stall (buffet, mushy controls, stall warning) and recover promptly with minimum altitude loss.
- Accelerated (Maneuvering) StallAn accelerated stall demonstrates that an airplane can stall at a higher-than-normal airspeed whenever the load factor is increased — for example in a steep, level turn. The increased G raises the stall speed, so the wing reaches its critical angle of attack while the airspeed is still well above the 1G stall speed.
- Cross-Control Stall (Demonstration)A CFI demonstration stall that shows the danger of a skidding (cross-controlled) turn from base to final. With crossed controls — aileron one way, opposite rudder — the airplane can snap into an incipient spin at the stall, with little warning, at a low altitude where there is no room to recover. The point is to recognize and avoid it.
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