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Aileron Use in a Stall

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Instinctively using ailerons to correct a wing drop during a stall is dangerous and can lead to a more severe stall or even a spin due to increased angle of attack and drag on the downward-deflected wing.
  • The proper stall recovery involves maintaining coordinated flight with the rudder, immediately lowering the nose, and adding power to restore airflow over the wing and reduce the angle of attack, thereby making the ailerons effective again.
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During stall recovery training, fighting the urge to use the aileron to overcome a sudden wing drop can take forethought and even sheer will power on the part of the student pilot. In a true stall emergency, which can take us completely by surprise, picking up a dropping wing with the aileron can be an instinctual, but also a very dangerous, reaction.

Most light airplanes are designed with wings that stall progressively outward from the wing roots to the wingtips. This provides a measure of aileron control even in a stall as the wingtips continue to provide some degree of lift and the ailerons still have some control effect.

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