Flight 6 - Stalls, Emergecy descents, Engine fires and more

Yet another busy lesson, this time we focussed on trying stalls for the first time, and also practiced some other manouvers (slow flying and steep turns). It was also only the second time we managed to fly all the way out to the coast line (better visibility and no issues with sea fog).

Power off stall

The aim was to put the plane into an engine idle, 60 kts glide, then gently pull up until the plane stalls. At the point of stalling the controls become sloppy, and the stall horn sounds. This is always recovered by pushing the nose down and putting the throttle to maximum (removing carb heat). The important thing about putting the nose down is to allow the plane to quickly recover by allowing the airflow to move correctly over the wings, increase air speed and allow the controls to return to their normal function. One thing to note is that you shouldn't point the nose too far down, just enough that the airspeed will increase at a reasonable rate.

The point of this test is to experiment with what might happen if you stalled during a landing approach. It may seem uncomfortable, but the recovery would be to pitch the plane back down to towards the ground slightly before increasing power to allow the wings to regain lift.

• Notes: Power off stall [carb heat on, power off, flaps down, glide at 60 as though landing, then pull back to stall, recover from stall with full power, reduce flaps one at a time]
• Stall can also be experimented as part of a slight turn [10 degrees], plane tends to want to level
  

Power on stall

Power-on stall is entered from a slow flight configuration (see flight 2). Sequence is to drop to idle, carb heat on, no flaps, pitch up, then increase power and pitch simultaneously until the stall. Again recovery is to pitch down, and full throttle.

• Notes: Power on stall [carb heat, power off, no flaps, ease power up and pitch at same time until stall]

Emergency Descent

In case of an urgent need to lose height, the best way is a steep turn with engine idle and flaps down until close enough to a convenient landing location.

• Emergency descent 'dirty?', [carb heat, power idle, flaps down, 45 degree turn and fall keeping at 80kts, height is lost very quickly]

Engine fire

The emergency procedure if the engine is on fire would be to turn off fuel to the fire and gain air speed to try and put the fire out, in other words point down at a steep descent and aim for 120 kts.

• Engine on fire - turn off fuel, turn off mags and electrics [practice: carb heat, power idle, flaps up, point down and approach 120kts to put fire out]

Other things practiced on this lesson

• Ascent/Descent
• Steep turns (trying to end up on original heading)
  
• Slow flying (keeping within +/- 100ft) [carb heat, power idle, flaps down, power up]
• GPS - to KPAO: select location, airports, nearest, PAO
• Return to KPAO: "PA Tower this is Cessna xxxxx, Over SLAC, Request landing with 'Foxtrot'
  
• Descent to airport, aim for 2000ft by Standford tower (under 2500 limit for SFO), 1500ft at IKEA, and 1000ft into left pattern

Take off and Landing

See pictures to the right.

The views!

Lots of impressive coastal views along highway 1 just north of Santa Cruz. Blue seas, beaches, hills and the like. This is why I'm learning to fly :)

Lessons covered: 8 (stalls)

Next lesson: Depends on weather.