PLT477: Stalls
What code PLT477 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Stalls before your checkride.
Recall stalls - characteristics / factors / recovery / precautions
What this means for your checkride
A stall happens when the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack and the smooth airflow separates, so it can occur at any airspeed or attitude. The warning signs are a mushy feel, a stall warning, and sloppy controls; recovery is the same every time: reduce the angle of attack by lowering the nose, add power, and level the wings.
Loss of control from a stall is a leading cause of fatal accidents, so the FAA tests the cause, the warning signs, and the correct recovery, especially at low altitude.
The deepest misconception is that an airplane stalls only when it is slow. A stall is about angle of attack, not speed, so pulling too hard in a steep turn can stall the wing at cruise speed, and the fix is always to reduce the angle of attack first, not to add power alone.
Where to study it
Practice questions on this code
Real questions from the Aviator IQ bank that test this exact area. Answer each to see the correct choice, the full rationale, and the FAA source.
A stall results from exceeding the critical angle of attack. Which statement about when a stall can occur is correct?
Oral checkride defense
A code on your report is an area the examiner can revisit. Here is how an examiner might probe it, and how to explain it out loud.
At what speed does this airplane stall?
Reframe it: a wing stalls at the critical angle of attack, not a fixed speed. Published stall speeds are for one G, wings level. Load factor in a turn or an abrupt pull raises the speed at which that angle is reached, so the airplane can stall at any airspeed or attitude.
You feel a buffet on base to final. What is happening and what do you do?
You are approaching the critical angle of attack in a slow, likely cross-controlled turn. Recover by reducing angle of attack (lower the nose), adding power, and leveling the wings with coordinated controls. Explain why the base-to-final stall-spin is so dangerous with no altitude to recover.
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.