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Power-On Stalls in Flight Training: What to Do, What to Look For, and What Instructors Actually Want

Power-on stalls are one of the first times a student pilot realizes the airplane doesn’t “fall out of the sky” so much as it runs out of airflow. Done correctly, they’re controlled, predictable, and hugely confidence-building. Done sloppily, they become a pitch-and-yaw wrestling match that teaches the wrong lessons.


This post is about performing power-on stalls the way flight training intends: safe, coordinated, repeatable—and useful.



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What a Power-On Stall Is (and Why We Practice It)

A power-on stall is typically set up from a climb attitude with higher power and increasing angle of attack until the wing stalls. In training, it’s primarily used to simulate the stall characteristics you might see during:

  • Takeoff

  • Go-around

  • Departure climb

  • Missed approach pitch-up moments


The big learning goal isn’t “make the airplane stall.” It’s to build the habit of:

  • recognizing imminent stall cues

  • maintaining coordination

  • recovering with minimal altitude loss while keeping the airplane under control


Before You Start: The “Instructor Brain” Checklist

Your instructor is watching for these habits before you even pitch up:


Safety Setup

  • Clearing turns / traffic scan

  • Appropriate altitude (enough room for recovery)

  • Carb heat/mixture/engine setup as appropriate to your aircraft

  • Smooth configuration management (typically takeoff configuration)


Task Setup

  • Specific entry airspeed and power setting

  • A target heading and a plan for what to do when the airplane tries to yaw

  • A disciplined scan (outside + instruments)


If your setup is clean, the maneuver becomes simple.


The Aerodynamics That Matter (No Overthinking Required)

Power-on stalls aren’t “harder” than power-off stalls—they’re just different:

  • Higher power increases pitch moment and can increase left-turning tendencies (P-factor, torque, slipstream effects) depending on the aircraft.

  • As speed slows, rudder becomes more important to stay coordinated.

  • Pitch attitude gets high, so outside references shift and students tend to “lose the horizon.”


The stall happens because angle of attack exceeds critical—not because airspeed is “too low.” Airspeed is just the usual way we notice it coming.


Standard Power-On Stall Setup (Training-Airplane Friendly)

Your exact steps depend on your POH and instructor technique, but the common flow looks like this:


1) Clear the Area

Do clearing turns and verbalize “area clear” like you mean it. This is not busywork. It’s a habit you want on checkride day and beyond.


2) Configure for Takeoff/Climb

Typical training configuration:

  • Flaps: takeoff setting (often 0° in many trainers unless your program uses a takeoff flap)

  • Gear: up (if retractable)

  • Mixture: as appropriate (often full rich at low altitude)

  • Carb heat: per procedure (often off for high power)


3) Establish an Entry Condition

You’ll usually start in:

  • Straight-and-level at a safe altitude

  • A specified airspeed (often around rotation speed or a specified “stall entry speed”)

  • A stable heading


4) Smoothly Add Power to a Climb Setting

Bring power in smoothly to avoid abrupt yaw and pitch changes. As power comes up:

  • Use right rudder as needed to keep the ball centered

  • Set a climb attitude and let speed bleed as appropriate for the setup


5) Increase Pitch to Induce the Stall

Here’s the key: don’t hunt a number. You’re increasing AOA. Maintain:

  • Coordination (ball centered)

  • Wings level (stop the slow roll with tiny aileron, but don’t cross-control)

  • Heading (expect left-turn tendency)


Your scan should be mostly outside with quick instrument checks:

  • Attitude/pitch trend

  • Heading

  • Airspeed trend

  • Coordination


What You’ll Feel Before the Stall (Learn These Cues)

A good power-on stall is not a surprise. You should be expecting these cues:

  • Mushy controls

  • Increasing back pressure

  • Buffet (if your aircraft gives it)

  • Stall warning horn / light

  • Increasing need for rudder

  • The nose wanting to yaw/roll (especially left in many trainers)


If you can call out “approaching stall” before the break, you’re doing it right.


The Stall “Break” (and Why Coordination Matters So Much)

In a power-on stall, if you’re even slightly uncoordinated, the airplane may:

  • drop a wing

  • yaw aggressively

  • try to begin an incipient spin


That’s why instructors harp on “step on the ball.” A coordinated stall typically breaks straight ahead. An uncoordinated one can get spicy fast.


Your mission is not to prove bravery—it’s to keep the airplane coordinated and manageable.


Recovery: The Simple, Correct Priorities

Recovery is always about reducing angle of attack and returning to controlled flight.


A clean recovery looks like:

1) Reduce Angle of Attack

  • Release back pressure enough to break the stall.

  • Don’t shove the nose to the floor—just unload to regain airflow.


2) Apply/Confirm Full Power (As Appropriate)

Many training profiles already have high power in. Confirm it’s set properly and manage engine factors:

  • Keep it smooth

  • Maintain coordination (right rudder likely needed)


3) Stop the Yaw and Level the Wings

  • Rudder: stop yaw first (ball center)

  • Aileron: level wings once flying again

  • Avoid aggressive aileron inputs at/near stall—wait until you have flying speed.


4) Establish a Positive Climb

  • Pitch for Vy (or as instructed)

  • Verify climb with instruments

  • Clean up configuration when appropriate (flaps/gear per procedure)


5) Return to the Assigned Altitude/Heading

Training often wants you back where you started, not wandering off in a climbing turn.


Common Student Errors (And How to Fix Them)

Error: Chasing Airspeed Instead of Pitch Attitude

  • Fix: Use a consistent climb sight picture and let airspeed be a supporting instrument.


Error: Forgetting Rudder

  • Fix: Say “rudder” out loud on power application and during the pitch-up. Make it a trigger.


Error: Cross-Controlling the Break

  • Fix: If a wing drops, your first instinct should be rudder to stop yaw, then level the wings after the stall is broken.


Error: Over-Aggressive Nose Drop

  • Fix: Unload enough to fly again. Think “reduce AOA,” not “dive.”


Error: Sloppy Configuration / Checklist Discipline

  • Fix: Standardize your flow (clearing turns → power/config → pitch-up → recover → clean up).


A Trainer-Pro Tip: Make It a “Heading and Ball” Maneuver

If you want your power-on stalls to look instantly more professional, prioritize:

  1. Ball centered

  2. Heading stable

  3. Wings level


Altitude loss in the recovery is a symptom. Coordination is the cause.


How This Shows Up on Checkrides

Examiners aren’t looking for drama. They want:

  • A clear setup and clearing scan

  • Controlled entry

  • Immediate recognition of stall cues

  • Prompt recovery with minimal loss and no secondary stall

  • Coordination throughout


The big “tell” is whether you stay ahead of the airplane or react after it’s already ugly.


Final Thought

Power-on stalls teach you a deep truth: the airplane will generally do what you ask—as long as you stay coordinated and respect angle of attack. The moment you start yanking and twisting, you’re not learning stall management anymore—you’re practicing bad habits.



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