When was the last time you practiced a power-off landing stall?

1) Choose a safe altitude.

Choose an altitude at least 1,500 feet AGL to begin your stall.

2) Fly clearing turns.

Scan the area around you by flying two 90 degree clearing turns. Keep your eyes outside the cockpit and look for other traffic.

3) Pick a heading.

Aligning yourself with a road is a good visual reference for heading.

4) Reduce throttle to idle.

5) Hold your altitude while decelerating to approach speed.

Bleed off airspeed by maintaining altitude. As you get within the flap= operating range, begin adding flaps to landing configuration.

6) Configure for landing.

If you're flying a retractable gear aircraft, put the gear down too.

7) Simulate a descent to landing.

Maintain approach speed with aircraft pitch.

8) Simulate a landing pitch attitude.

Look outside and hold the aircraft pitch attitude until buffet, stall warning horn, or a full stall (depending on how far you want to take the stall).

9) Hold your heading with rudder.

Do not use ailerons to maintain wings level or heading. Use your rudder!

10) Recovery: Reduce angle of attack.

Release control wheel back pressure. Do not PUSH the nose over, which will result in excessive loss of altitude.

11) Recovery: Advance the throttle to maximum power.

12) Recovery: Retract the first notch of flaps as the airplane accelerates.

13) Recovery: Establish a positive rate of climb.

As you increase airspeed, continue to slowly pitch up to establish a Vy or Vx climb.

14) Recovery: Re-configure for climb.

At a safe airspeed and after a positive rate of climb is established, retract flaps and landing gear.

15) Recovery: Return to cruise flight.

After climb, return to cruise flight at a designated altitude.

How often do you practice stalls? Tell us in the comments below.