To evaluate pitch attitude, I teach students to use the wing for reference. The common denominator for all wings is angle of attack (AOA), not airspeed. Because most general aviation aircraft don't have AOA indicators, my students use the angle between the wing's chord line - an imaginary line between the wing's leading and trailing edges - and the earth's horizon.
This reference is not AOA, but pilots who use it have more self-confidence and they transition easily to other airplanes. The imaginary chord-line position is similar among piston-powered airplanes for best glide, slow cruise, cruise, cruise climb, best-rate climb, or best-angle climb. With the correct power setting for each of those pitch attitudes, airspeed will be near "book" speed.
The FAA's practical test standards (PTS) describe what's expected for stall entries. Pilots must transition smoothly from the entry attitude to the pitch attitude that will induce a stall. When you know this attitude, you bypass half the gremlins.
Power-on stalls require a pitch attitude that exceeds the best-angle-of-climb pitch attitude. Watch the incremental changes in chord-line position as you transition between cruise climb, best-rate climb, and best-angle climb. Increase your pitch attitude by that increment once again, and you have the power-on stall attitude. The best-rate-of climb attitude is the power-off stall attitude.
I have students evaluate bank attitude by comparing a horizontal element - such as the nose, cowl, or glare shield - to the horizon. They evaluate turn rate by watching the windshield frame sweep across the earth's surface, and they evaluate airspeed by control feel and airflow noise. You need bank angle, turn rate, and airspeed evaluation to coordinate the rudder. When you can coordinate the rudder without instrument reference, you eliminate the remaining gremlins.
To teach this skill, I have a student establish coordinated shallow, medium, and steep turns (confirmed with the slip indicator) at cruise airspeed. During each turn, the student looks outside and notes the rate of movement of the windshield frame across the earth's surface. The steeper the bank, the faster the rate of turn.
Then, while maintaining each of the three bank attitudes, I have the student reduce power and decelerate toward stall speed. With a constant bank angle, turn rate increases as airspeed decreases. The student increases power to maintain the reduced airspeed, establishes a coordinated turn (confirmed with the slip indicator), and he (or she) looks outside and notes the increased rate of movement of the windshield frame across the earth's surface.
Using this method, students easily master the visual bank angle, airspeed, and turn rate relationships.
For stalls during turns, my students use a shallow bank for power-on entries and a medium bank for power-off entries. The PTS limits bank angle to 20 degrees for power-on stalls and 30 degrees for power-off stalls. Students establish and maintain pitch attitude with the elevator, bank angle with the ailerons, and turn rate coordination with the rudder. There's no need to think about aerodynamic banking and engine-torque characteristics.
At the stall, the student reestablishes pitch control with the nose just below the horizon; sets takeoff power; and if a stall-induced roll develops, he steps on the rising wing - right wing up, right rudder pedal down.
Students taught this way don't use the ailerons! They stop the roll with rudder input, which prevents a spin entry.
This stall technique eliminates spooky stalls and unintentional spins. With the level of self-confidence this generates, many students sign-up for spin instruction.
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