Prepare for Maneuvering During Slow Flight | Lesson Prep

Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.

What you'll do

Clear the area and pick an altitude high enough to finish no lower than 1,500 ft AGL (single-engine).
Reduce power, hold altitude with increasing pitch, and extend flaps as the instructor specifies.
Settle at a speed where any more angle of attack would trigger the stall warning; add power to hold altitude.
Use right rudder to stay coordinated; controls feel mushy and response is slow.
Fly straight, turns, climbs and descents within the standards, then recover with full power and pitch to climb.

Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.

Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.VII.A · Maneuvering During Slow Flight

Clear the area.
Select an entry altitude that allows the Task to be completed no lower than 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL) (ASEL, ASES) or 3,000 feet AGL (AMEL, AMES).
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.).
Accomplish coordinated straight-and-level flight, turns, climbs, and descents with the aircraft configured as specified by the evaluator without a stall warning (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc.).
Maintain the specified altitude, ±100 feet; specified heading, ±10°; airspeed, +10/-0 knots; and specified angle of bank, ±10°.

Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B)Task CA.VII.A · Maneuvering During Slow Flight

Clear the area.
Select an entry altitude that allows the Task to be completed no lower than 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL) (ASEL, ASES) or 3,000 feet AGL (AMEL, AMES).
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.).
Accomplish coordinated straight-and-level flight, turns, climbs, and descents with the aircraft configured as specified by the evaluator without a stall warning (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc.).
Maintain the specified altitude, ±50 feet; specified heading, ±10°; airspeed, +5/-0 knots; and specified angle of bank, ±5°.

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