Originally Posted by CirrusF
I recently had the interesting experience of sitting in on a preliminary evaluation of a light aircraft (DA42) by a French military test pilot at CEV Istres. One of the checks was on the stall characteristics.
I was interested to observe that the TP seemed to pay no attention to holding the altitude steady in the approach to the stall, and the stall characteristics (both clean and in landing configuration) were recorded when we were in a descent of around 700fpm. He appeared to keep the stick deflection constant as the stall approached.
This seemed odd to me (as just a CPL) as in all the training I have ever been subjected to, I have been told to maintain altitude until stall, requiring a rapidly increasing stick deflection as we go down the wrong side of the lift/drag curve.
As a frustrated wannabee test pilot I'd be grateful for any comments!
Normal flight test procedure for 1g stall at GW both clean and dirty is a fixed pitch rate input (per data card) through to CLmax noting the corrected IAS at the stall.
All other departure test is performed on a step by step process as requested through the engineering data point card.
On teaching stall to students (I've noticed a few posts on this in the thread so will address here)
The problem for instructors when teaching stall to a new student is that the student will learn and retain nothing if under stress or feeling apprehension of any kind. Although some students will take easily to stalls, others require a careful and structured approach to what will be a totally new flight experience for a new student. If the instructor isn't innovative and doesn't take the time to properly prepare a new student for flight on and beyond the left side of the envelope, the result can easily be a student doing the required maneuvers by rote while stressed, and a student highly unlikely to act correctly down the line if actual stall is encountered.
With this in mind, instructors are well advised to recognize that although all stall occurs at the same aoa and the IAS for stall at GW is placarded for Vso and Vs on the ASI, this scenario is for a 1g wings level stall and that almost ALL stall encountered in the real world in actual situations will be accelerated and possibly cross controlled.
The problem for the instructor therefore is to be able to introduce stall gently using the 1g power off level flight scenario allowing the student to build confidence. The instructor should as well during this period, gently build up the student so that the more useful and necessary realm of accelerated stall can be introduced.
If done properly, a good CFI can take a student all the way through a complete stall education without building unnecessary stress levels.
A student trained in this manner will be a better pilot, having a more rounded approach to stall centered around stall occurring at the same aoa but VERY different airspeeds dependent on flight factors.
Dudley Henriques