Yep, side-slipping is the technique we use to add drag to lose height and/or slow down the Decathlon on final as it doesn't have flaps.
If I recall correctly, the pilot of the 'Gimli Glider" (the Air Canada Boeing 767 that ran out of fuel and forced landed flapless on a 7000 ft disused airstrip) side slipped the 767 to lose height on final. Now that would have been something to see.
Slight thread drift coming up. Interestingly, so called "dead stick landings" from high altitude is not something that is formally practiced in jet transport flight simulators. Yet, most type rating syllabus require practice at volcanic ash encounter resulting in loss of all engines. By working through the appropriate check list, it is envisaged that at least one engine is finally started and allows the crew to save the day.
Everyone loves a happy ending of course but one could argue there is a chance that none of the engines will start and you are left with a dead stick landing into the sea or a conveniently placed long runway.
However, that is considered so statistically improbable by regulators that practice dead stick landings (if done at all) are seen as nothing more than a bit of fun at the end of the session rather than a serious exercise of handling skill and good airmanship. In other words cross your fingers and pray it will never happen for real.
One of the points the captain of the Air Canada Boeing 767 made during the investigation, was that he wished his company had allowed him to practice at least one dead stick landing in the simulator rather than him having to nail it first time for real at Gimli. He had a good point, I thought. CASA please note
