We have also included responses to a … ACS Presents the “Three Dimensional” Pilot, http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/deadly-stalls-haunt-airlines-as-airasia-investigation-unfolds/. Funny you should mention high AOA landing. The difference is that now, the applicant is required to speak during the maneuver and announce the stall indications as they happen. We have assembled a list of the questions with background and guidance on the issues for ASIs and DPEs. Slow Flight and Stalls, page 54 of the Private Airplane ACS, the Skills section contains in part $$\begin{array}{l|l} \bf{Skills} & \text{The applicant demonstrates the ability to:} \\ \hline \textit{PA.VII.A.S2} & \begin{align} \text{2. } Under the ACS guidance, slow flight is trained and tested at an airspeed that is five to 10 knots above the stall warning activation speed. ). Pilots instinctively react to unfamiliar situations in the manner in which they were trained. The stall warning horn could clearly be heard from the ground as the pilot circled. “There’s the horn.”  Recover. I recently had a discussion with one of the FAA representatives who took part in a committee to increase general aviation safety. Preventing a stall becomes secondary to immediately stopping a descent by pitching-up, adding power and performing a go-around maneuver. Operating at high altitude means less power available to break a stall and continued backpressure only deepens the stall. It’s frightening to observe this especially when the pilot is obviously confused as to why the airplane is not recovering the same as it did in performing the standard approach to stall recovery. NO! If you are not yet a member, please Join SAFE and support our mission of generating aviation excellence in teaching and flying. Leveraging Learning Technology in Aviation! In section VII. Although no one likes change, when I hear stories like that, I realize that the new ACS is a safer standard. There seems to be an epidemic of commercial airliners and military aircraft that have crashed as a result of a pilot induced stall/upset and improper recovery from the stalled condition. Think your way through EACH maneuver and ignore the fact that you’re being tested. b. a. Clearing turns . Slow flight must now be accomplished at a speed higher than MCA or Minimum Controllable Airspeed (a speed at which the stall horn is continuously activated). Our amazing member benefits alone make this commitment worthwhile fun! Slow flight is flight at anything less than normal cruise, like the speeds one might normally use in the pattern. Upset Recovery Training (URT) goes a long way to give pilots the experiences they would not otherwise see and allows valuable insights into how airplanes tend to behave when operating outside of their normal operating envelope. Renslow. As most flight instructors know the FAA recently changed the requirements for slow flight in the private pilot ACS. If the aircraft weighs 4,000 pounds, the lift produced by the aircraft must be 4,000 pounds. Will I fail if the stall horn sounds during slow flight on a checkride? For years, the testing standard for slow flight stated that the applicant must “establish and maintain an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power, would result in an immediate stall.” The new ACS changes the words immediate stall to read stall warning. So the FAA wants to inculcate in every student pilot an automatic ‘push the stick forward’ response to every bleating of a stall warning horn. 2. We always need more input on aviation excellence or flight safety. The PC-12 has a warning/shaker/pusher system. “The ACS now specifies slow flight as, an airspeed, approximately 5 – 10 knots above the 1G stall speed, at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight without activating a stall warning.” The new FAA SAFO highlights this controversy and presents the FAA position. 4) I consider "slow flight" and "flight at minimum controllable airspeed" two very different things. Methinks the promulgator of this FAA policy has forgotten how to fly anything smaller than an airline jet. http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/deadly-stalls-haunt-airlines-as-airasia-investigation-unfolds/. There are many highly qualified SAFE members out there! But if it is activated, the pilot is expected to take prompt and positive stall recovery measures. Background: Loss of control in flight continues to … The … Flight Maneuvers C-172R/S . But you should make a correction so that the horn does not continue to sound. The intention (and some involved parties say “FAA promise”) was to not modify the flight test maneuvers or completion standards during this process. Our CFI's have been teaching it as slowing down until you hear the stall horn and then increasing about 5-10 knots (and they grumble that it's not really slow flight anymore, just "sorta" slow flight). Even during simulated emergencies, like an engine failure, there is no reason to rush into any… ). Flight at minimum controllable airspeed is flight at a speed such that any further increase in angle of attack and/or load factor will cause an immediate stall. For example, in the ACS, the objective of Slow Flight Task is “To determine that the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with maneuvering during slow flight.” The maneuver itself is not the objective. New stimulus bill has some good news for airlines. Now that it has been discovered, this slow flight modification is creating quite a dust-up in the flight training community. In other words, when an applicant performs slow flight, he or she must not allow the stall horn to blare during the maneuver. David St. George is an FAA DPE (Sport to Multi ATP) and a Part 135 charter pilot flying the Pilatus PC-12 in the NYC area. In other words, when an applicant performs slow flight, he or she must not allow the stall … Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. The result is that pilots of large airplanes are loosing control of their aircraft at high altitudes and holding their airplanes in a stalled condition all the way to the crash cite. ).” Regarding slow flight the ACS says we’re to Establish and maintain an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power, would result in a stall warning (e.g., airplane buffet, stall horn, etc. The stall warning horn should be on during slow flight. The problem with this is that most fatal stall/loss of control incidents involve a stall at higher altitudes where excess altitude can and should be traded for airspeed and aircraft control. [FAA ACS FAQ] This new FAA focus developed directly from accidents such as the Colgin 3407 crash in Buffalo, where the pilot decelerated rapidly into a high AOA configuration and aggressively held the plane in an aggravated stall defeating the stall protection safety devices and resulting in 50 deaths. Someone was videotaping from the ground. Have a Wonderful Holiday; Be Grateful and Present! buffet, horn, etc. Slow flight must now be accomplished at a speed higher than MCA or Minimum Controllable Airspeed (a speed at which the stall horn is continuously activated). Prevent LOC-I; Please Train Turning Stalls! I have seen this numerous times where a pilot inadvertently stalls the airplane at high altitude and reacts to the stall warning horn by trying to power-out of the stall while releasing little or no elevator back pressure. PPL ACS Explained in Detail. Consequently, many PC-12 pilots hold the “interrupt” switch to prevent an “FAA takeover” of their landing! is creating quite a dust-up in the flight training community. SAFEblog.org “Super Pilots!” Enjoy a wonderful, Any DPE can be immediately “fired” for “no c, See today’s (midweek) SAFEblog (.org) DPEs can b, FAA revises guidance on COVID vaccine; 48 hour wai, Great meet-up with CFi Bootcamp at KLAL event toda. The new FAA SAFO highlights this controversy and presents the FAA position. As most flight instructors know the FAA recently changed the requirements for slow flight in the private pilot ACS. Our slow flight practice is not just an isolated task, but is also designed so that we can learn how the controls feel and how the airplane maneuvers at speeds encountered in the landing process. They meet on September 14th (that should be an interesting meeting…) Have fun, fly safely, and best wishes for a wonderful holiday weekend. Most don't know the real difference between a spin and a spiral, and fail to grasp the fundamental relationship of these with aerodynamic stalls. Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. If you hear the horn, make a correction. In all cases, students should refer to and become familiar with the C-172R or C-172S Information Manual and the appropriate ACS or Practical Test Standards (PTS). The following is for quick reference only. Formerly a 141 Chief Instructor for over 25 years, with a Gold Seal CFI. ACS Slow Flight - MzeroA Flight Training. The slowest airspeed at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight without indications of a stall—usually 3 to 5 knots above stalling speed. ... FAA ACS - Slow Flight and Stalls (.pdf) FAA AFH Chap. evaluation standards for the slow flight task and certain stall tasks in the Private Pilot – Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6A) and the Commercial Pilot – Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7), which will be effective June 12, 2017. Why? Practicing and demonstrating pilot knowledge, skill and control in this slow flight area of airplane operation is critical to flight safety and is the holy grail for most CFIs and DPEs. “Hope, Luck, Appearance” – Dangerous Delusions! Mixture - RICH If a pilot never experiences and trains in this critical phase of flight their reaction might be an inappropriate panic response like Cpt. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. and not organized by SAFE. Later, I also saw this in the Army’s standardization and training so I developed a class on “Stall Avoidance Training” for our RC-12 students at Ft Huachuca. That’s not a great thing to be teaching new private pilots. Got Comments? For a private pilot, that might sound something like this, “There’s the horn. 1. "The ACS now specifies slow flight as, an airspeed, approximately 5 - 10 knots above the 1G stall speed, at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight … Well, I get a loud, blaring stall warning horn on (almost) every landing, and I’m certainly NOT going to push the stick forward then! Why then has it created so much headache and made our flight training environments anything but simple? David started flying at 16 and has logged over 15,000 hours. Teaching “Average” Prevents Effective Learning. As the speed slowed to a dangerous level, setting off the stall-prevention system, he did the opposite of the proper procedure, which led to the crash, these people said. As early as 1989, I became increasingly concerned that our pilot training at my airline company as it did not include stall recovery at altitude and feared that the stall training scenario at low altitude would lead to a negative habit transfer if a pilot became confronted with a stall warning at high altitude. Slow Flight The FAA released new airman certification standards (ACS) in June. Does the ACS Focus Team have an e-mail address? Properly performed, the maneuver should not activate the stall warning system at all. Fuel Selector Valve - BOTH . Task A. Let’s remember that the FAA/ACS committee allows pilots to be tested on their slow flight skills at speeds up to 1.34 Vs. That’s faster than the speed at which most manufacturers recommend flying a fully loaded airplane on final approach. Slow Flight and before the stall/spin tasks. Capt. The Airman Certification standard (ACS) replaced the Practical Test Standard (PTS) for the certification of private (and instrument) pilots as of June 15th this year. The FAA does not want pilots in training flying with the stall warning horn blaring with the supposition this will lead to ignoring this critical warning device. According to the ACS, for slow flight the pilot should establish and maintain an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power, would result in a stall warning (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc. As far as stalls go, the ACS hasn’t changed things all that much. Aerodynamics associated with slow flight in various aircraft configurations, to include the relationship between angle of attack, airspeed, load factor, power setting, aircraft weight and center of gravity, aircraft attitude, and yaw effects. To recap, for slow flight, fly at an airspeed just above the stall warning. I. Slow-flight. An amazing not-for-profit professional organization increasing aviation safety and instructor professionalism with education and resources. Maneuvering During Slow Flight References FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3; POH/AFM Objective To determine that the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with maneuvering during slow flight. Doug Stewart in Flying Magazine; “Prior to the ACS, the PTS specified slow flight as ‘an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power would result in an immediate stall,'” Stewart said. There is great training value in mastering (and regularly practicing) slow flight with the stall warning horn operating, coordinating your plane carefully at the maximum angle of attack right up to the aerodynamic stall. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The captain of a commuter plane that crashed Feb. 12 near Buffalo, N.Y., had flunked numerous flight tests during his career and was never adequately taught how to respond to the emergency that led to the airplane’s fatal descent, according to people close to the investigation. The primary thrust of this testing transformation was to update the knowledge testing questions and philosophy, replacing ancient, irrelevant test questions in the data bank with more timely, calibrated questions correlated to the areas of operation in the flight test. He recently renewed his Master Instructor for the tenth time and is a Charter member of SAFE. The ACS just says 5-10 knots above 1G stall speeds. Beyond the “Stupid Pilot” View of Safety! The flight ended in a stall/spin crash, killing both occupants. Can anyone clarify the speed that the examiner is going to be looking for on the checkride? For stalls, verbally announce the stall indications as they happen. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). I want to reinforce that SAFE encourages individuals to communicate directly with the ACS Focus Team, and that Doug Stewart’s letter writing campaign is his own initiative. The objective statement for new Task B: They were created to update elements of the private pilot and the instrument rating knowledge exams, both of which were widely considered outdated and replete with confusing questions that did little to evaluate a pilot’s decision-making or risk-management skills. By now, U.S.-based flight instructors and training organizations should be fully up to speed on last year s formal implementation of the airman certification standards (ACS), which is designed to eventually replace all practical test standards (PTS). The new ACS (that’s Airmen Certification Standards for those who have been living in a cave for the last year) was written with the intention of making the testing process more relevant, more streamlined, and more simple. If you land with a nice nose high attitude it starts to get concerned yelling “stall” and some pilots have even gotten the “shaker and pusher” to their peril. “The ACS now specifies slow flight as, an airspeed, approximately 5 – 10 knots above the 1G stall speed, at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight without activating a stall warning.” The new FAA SAFO highlights this controversy and presents the FAA position. There’s the buffet. One area that really causes some confusion is the new slow flight and stall standard. Marvin Renslow had never been properly trained by the company to respond to a warning system designed to prevent the plane from going into a stall, according to people familiar with the investigation. Stalls, Spins, and Spirals are three flight maneuvers that are frequently misunderstood by pilots. ACS Focus Team Slow Flight and Other FAQs The ACS Focus Team has been asked many questions about the topic of slow flight. training and checkride resources from an FAA designated pilot examiner. “The ACS now specifies slow flight as, an airspeed, approximately 5 – 10 knots above the 1G stall speed, at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight without activating a stall warning.”. This, however, is not normally trained in the air transport industry. A better objective might be. Because of the risks of stall, slow flight can be hazardous specially at low altitude. ACS & Slow Flight Asked by: laminar 2131 views FAA Regulations , Private Pilot Does anyone has insight as to why the FAA opted to drastically change the standards for slow flight in the new "ACS", from the previous "min controllable airspeed" PTS standard, to what now says that activating the stall warning would be disqualifying? (AP Photo/The Buffalo News, Derek Gee). Task B. Power-Off Stalls from earlier versions of this draft ACS has been re-designated Task C. Power-Off Stalls as well as the remaining tasks in succession within Area of Operation XI. The ATP approach to stall recovery training scenario both involve an imminent stall at low altitude, as on final approach, and recovery dictates a minimum loss of altitude. Introduction and Overview. Please “follow” our SAFE blog to receive notification of new articles and please write us a comment if you see a problem or want to contribute an article. The FAA ACS committee has people thinking that pilots routinely flew around with the stall warning horn activated while not doing anything about it; there is no basis for that argument whatsoever. One of the videos they watched was of a gentleman who was proposing to his girlfriend. ». Its sole purpose is literally to activate during slow flight. The group reviewed a number of accidents and made recommendations for how to prevent accidents in the future. Take your time and get setup properly for each maneuver – including clearing turns, adjusting airspeed and altitude, checklist usage, etc. The FAA’s own 1976 FAA Stall Awareness Study clearly demonstrated that “extra stall and slow flight training was effective in preventing unintentional spins.” Inflight-Loss Of Control is the major causal factor for fatal accidents in aviation so understanding and controlling this phase of flight is critically important to pilot safety. Anytime an aircraft is flying near the stalling speed or the region of reversed command, such as in final approach for a normal landing, the initial part of a go around, or maneuvering in slow flight, it is operating in what is called slow-speed flight. With the 2017 revision of the ACS, the FAA “refined and consolidated the risk management elements in the ACS,” and modified the phrasing of the slow flight skill element to require that an applicant “establish and maintain an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power, would result in a stall warning (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc. When we practice slow flight with the stall warning continuously going off, we learn to ignore the stall warning horn. He owns a 1946 7AC Aeronca Champ and wrote the SAFE Toolkit app. Share this page on: Airman Certification Standards for slow flight, and what to do if the stall warning system sounds! When the ACS was issued, it contained language that did not allow activation of the stall warning horn to occur for successful completion of the task. Planning (not “Plans”) – Essential to Safety. 0 out of 56 steps completed 0%. To me this seems like a one off pilot error more than a symptomatic problem with the entire flight training process. After Colgin 3407, all the FAA PTS were modified to emphasize a “positive reduction in AOA” as opposed to the previous “minimum altitude loss.” But how many pilots still perform stalls as initially trained? Pretty simple right? There’s the full stall.”  Recover. Version A (2004) of the AFH states that one of the elements of slow flight in pilot training and testing is to maneuver the airplane at “the slowest airspeed at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight without indications of a stall—usually 3 to 5 knots above stalling speed.”. Please mention your flight training experiences and viewpoints. It does appear though that on the way to the alter, one critical vow was transformed and quietly embedded into the new ACS. Commercial ACS – Area of Operations VII Slow Flight & Stalls. Correct habit formation for stall/spin avoidance and recovery is essential for any pilot. A private pilot checkride still requires a full stall break whereas a commercial checkride requires that the applicant recover at the first indication of a stall, i.e. From the Wall Street Journal May 11, 2009; An aerial view of the site where Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed into a home on Long Street in Clarence, N.Y., is seen Saturday morning, Feb. 14, 2009. Pre-maneuver checklist . For years, the testing standard for slow flight stated that the applicant must “establish and maintain an airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power, would result in an immediate stall.”  The new ACS changes the words immediate stall to read stall warning. A commercial pilot need only announce the first indication as the recovery will be immediately initiated afterwards. I fear, however, that we have a systemic flaw in the standard slow flight and stall recovery technique which the FAA requires of ATP pilots. The FAA ACS Focus Team has issued a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) for the slow flight maneuver required on the Private Pilot Practical Test. Slow flight should be of short duration because of the insufficient airflow for engine cooling. I fear the current specification will not allow slow flight to be deep enough into the induced drag curve to demonstrate “mushing with power” where you must lower the nose to reduce drag and obtain a climb (that is an eye-opener) It takes a very competent educator to handle this training correctly and build understanding (and why SAFE works hard to improve aviation educator excellence) Thanks for your comments! This website contains Affiliate Links. Let’s not make this harder than it has to be…, What is the secret to passing your checkride? For now, only the private pilot and airplane instrument rating checkrides employ the ACS, but more are coming. He had written “will you marry me?” on the ground, then flew his plane around in circles over the spot so that his girlfriend could read the message. 4 - Slow Flight, Stalls, Spins . Click HERE to see the Original Video! Send your comments supporting retaining slow flight in it’s previous (slower) form as an essential part of flight training to the ACS focus team at the FAA Aviation Working Group. An accident case in point is Colgan Air Flight 3407 where the pilot of a Dash 8 Q400 reacted to a stall warning while the aircraft was in the approach configuration and at about 2300 feet, plenty of altitude to recover if only the pilot had pushed rather than pulled the yoke forward. 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