Stall Recovery: Ailerons Or Rudder?

At the last minute on final approach, you see an obstacle on the runway. You’ve initiated a go-around, but in your haste you let the nose rise too much, or even pull it up excessively for fear of hitting trees at the far end of the airport. The stall warning horn sounds but you don’t respond quickly enough, and the airplane begins to shudder—the “first aerodynamic indication” of a stall. One wing begins to drop. As you push forward to reduce the angle of attack and break the stall, do you coordinate rudder and aileron to level the wings or force yourself to hold the ailerons neutral and level the wings with rudder alone?

Key Takeaways:

• During stall recovery, pilots should keep ailerons neutral and use rudder alone to level the wings.
• Using ailerons near or in a stall is dangerous because they can increase the angle of attack on one wing, potentially deepening the stall or inducing a spin.
• This fundamental understanding and application of rudder for wing leveling is crucial for general aviation safety, as loss of control due to stalls and spins remains a leading cause of accidents.

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