Prepare for: VMC Demonstration
Showing the loss of directional control that occurs at minimum control speed with one engine inoperative.
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
- Configure per the POH; set up a single-engine climb at about 10 knots above VSSE.
- Bank up to 5° toward the operating engine.
- Slowly raise the nose to reduce airspeed about 1 knot per second, adding rudder to keep heading.
- Recover at the first loss of directional control, stall warning or buffet: reduce power on the operating engine and lower the nose.
- Recover within 20° of entry heading and accelerate to VSSE/VYSE.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.X.B · VMC Demonstration (AMEL, AMES)
- Configure the airplane in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, in the absence of the manufacturer’s recommendations, then at safe single-engine speed (VSSE/VYSE), as appropriate, and:
- Establish a single-engine climb attitude with the airspeed at approximately 10 knots above VSSE.
- Establish a bank angle not to exceed 5° toward the operating engine, as required for best performance and controllability.
- Increase the pitch attitude slowly to reduce the airspeed at approximately 1 knot per second while applying increased rudder pressure as needed to maintain directional control.
- Recognize and recover at the first indication of loss of directional control, stall warning, or buffet.
- Recover promptly by simultaneously reducing power sufficiently on the operating engine, decreasing the angle of attack as necessary to regain airspeed and directional control, and without adding power on the simulated failed engine.
- Recover within 20° of entry heading.
- Advance power smoothly on the operating engine and accelerate to VSSE/VYSE, as appropriate, +10/-5 knots during recovery.
Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B)Task CA.X.B · VMC Demonstration (AMEL, AMES)
- Configure the airplane in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, in the absence of the manufacturer’s recommendations, then at safe single-engine speed (VSSE/VYSE), as appropriate, and:
- Establish a single-engine climb attitude with the airspeed at approximately 10 knots above VSSE.
- Establish a bank angle not to exceed 5° toward the operating engine, as required for best performance and controllability.
- Increase the pitch attitude slowly to reduce the airspeed at approximately 1 knot per second while applying increased rudder pressure as needed to maintain directional control.
- Recognize and recover at the first indication of loss of directional control, stall warning, or buffet.
- Recover promptly by simultaneously reducing power sufficiently on the operating engine, decreasing the angle of attack as necessary to regain airspeed and directional control, and without adding power on the simulated failed engine.
- Recover within 20° of entry heading.
- Advance power smoothly on the operating engine and accelerate to VSSE/VYSE, as appropriate, ±5 knots during recovery.
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
- Know VMC (red radial line) and VYSE (blue line).
- Understand factors that change VMC.
Common mistakes
- Adding power on the 'failed' engine during recovery.
- Letting it progress to a stall with asymmetric thrust.
Questions to ask your instructor
- What altitude do you want for the demo?
- What's VSSE for this airplane?
Check yourself
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