Prepare for: CFI Stall Demonstrations
Cross-controlled, elevator trim and secondary stall demonstrations CFIs must show and explain.
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
- Cross-controlled stall: shows how a skidding base-to-final turn can lead to a spin; recover at the first indication.
- Elevator trim stall: shows the danger of nose-up trim with full power during a go-around.
- Secondary stall: shows what happens when you pull up too quickly during a stall recovery.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Flight Instructor ACS (FAA-S-ACS-25)Task FI.X.F · Cross-Controlled Stall Demonstration (ASEL, ASES)
See this task in the official ACS.
Flight Instructor ACS (FAA-S-ACS-25)Task FI.X.G · Elevator Trim Stall Demonstration (ASEL, ASES)
See this task in the official ACS.
Flight Instructor ACS (FAA-S-ACS-25)Task FI.X.H · Secondary Stall Demonstration (ASEL, ASES)
See this task in the official ACS.
Read it in the FAA handbooks
The official chapters behind this page. Each link opens the exact chapter, free on faa.gov. See the full Study Library.
Prepare the night before
- Review stall aerodynamics in the stalls and spins lesson.
Common mistakes
- Letting a cross-controlled stall develop into a spin.
Questions to ask your instructor
- Can we fly these with a safety briefing first?
Check yourself
Something wrong or out of date? Report an error