Maneuvers and Procedures — What the DPE Will Ask You to Do

Lesson 1 — Understanding the ACS Standards

The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) replaced the Practical Test Standards (PTS) in 2016. The ACS defines exactly what the DPE is evaluating — not just maneuver procedures but also knowledge and risk management. Understanding the ACS before your checkride is essential: it is the standard you will be held to, and it is publicly available on the FAA website. See our full PPL maneuvers guide →

Every maneuver has three components in the ACS: Knowledge (what you must know about the maneuver, tested in the oral), Risk Management (what hazards you must recognize and manage), and Skills (the specific tolerances you must maintain in flight). The DPE evaluates all three simultaneously — a technically perfect maneuver executed without situational awareness can still be unsatisfactory.

Lesson 2 — Normal Takeoff and Climb

The normal takeoff is the foundation from which all other takeoff types build. The goal is a smooth, coordinated departure that transitions from a ground roll to an established climb in a controlled, predictable manner.

Procedure, step by step

Pre-takeoff: Complete the checklist. Verify runway clear, wind favoring the runway in use. Set trim for takeoff. Flaps per POH (many trainers use no flaps for normal takeoff). Transponder to ALT. Set heading indicator to runway heading as a reference.

Line up: Turn onto centerline, pause to let heading indicator settle. Note the runway heading on the DI — you'll use it as a reference during the roll. Apply smooth, full throttle. Check engine instruments (green within 3–5 seconds). Keep feet light on the rudder — use it to track centerline, not the brakes.

Rotation: At Vr (rotation speed per POH — typically 55–65 kts for most trainers), apply smooth back pressure to establish the takeoff attitude. Don't jerk the yoke — raise the nose smoothly to the climb attitude. The aircraft will fly off.

Initial climb: Establish Vy (best rate of climb) — typically 73–79 kts for a Cessna 172. Apply right rudder to counteract left-turning tendencies at full power. Retract flaps in stages per POH after a positive rate of climb is established. Maintain runway heading until above 400 ft AGL (obstacle clearance standard) then turn on course.

Lesson 3 — Normal Approach and Landing

Consistent landings come from consistent approaches. The DPE is not just evaluating the touchdown — they are evaluating your energy management from the moment you enter the pattern. An unstabilized approach almost always produces a poor landing.

The stabilized approach concept

A stabilized approach means that by 500 ft AGL, you have established and are maintaining: the correct approach speed (VREF, typically 1.3 × Vso), the correct descent rate (typically 400–600 fpm in the approach configuration), the correct configuration (flaps per POH), and alignment with the runway centerline. If any of these is not established by 500 ft AGL, go around. This is not a suggestion — it is the professional standard.

The aiming point technique

Select a specific point on the runway — typically the first third — as your aiming point. Keep it stationary in the windshield. If the aiming point moves down in your windshield (appears to move toward the bottom of the glass), you are overshooting — the point is getting closer. Add back pressure and reduce power. If the aiming point moves up, you are undershooting — add power.

A stationary aiming point in the windshield means you are on a constant glidepath to that point. Move the point down = you'll fly over it. Move it up = you'll land short.

The flare and touchdown

Crossing the runway threshold, begin a gradual reduction in power toward idle and a simultaneous gentle nose-up pitch to arrest the descent. The flare converts the airplane's energy from descent to forward motion. The goal: touch down on the main gear in a slightly nose-high attitude at minimum controllable airspeed, with the stall warning activating near touchdown in a well-executed landing. After main gear touchdown, hold the nose off as long as practical, then lower gently. Maintain directional control through the rollout with rudder — not brakes.

Lesson 4 — Short-Field and Soft-Field Techniques

Short-field takeoff

Short-field technique is used when runway length is limiting — you need maximum performance from the available pavement. The technique differs from normal in two key ways: you hold the brakes at full power before releasing (extracting full power before starting the roll), and you climb at Vx (best angle, not Vy) to clear any obstacle at the departure end.

Procedure: Position on the very beginning of the runway (use all available runway). Hold brakes. Apply full power. Verify full power and check instruments. Release brakes. At Vr, apply back pressure to rotate. Establish Vx attitude and climb. Once obstacles are cleared, lower nose to Vy. ACS tolerance: touch down within 200 ft of the specified point.

Short-field landing

Aim for the very threshold — the landing zone markers. Maintain a steeper than normal approach using full flaps and a precise VREF airspeed. Touch down on the main gear at minimum airspeed as close to the threshold as possible. After touchdown: apply full braking, hold nose up to use aerodynamic braking, then lower nose gently as speed decreases.

Soft-field takeoff

Soft-field technique minimizes the time the aircraft spends with weight on a soft or uneven surface — grass, gravel, unpaved strips. The principle: get the wings generating lift as early as possible to relieve the wheels of the aircraft's weight, reducing drag and preventing bogging down.

Key technique: Never stop on a soft surface — maintain rolling momentum throughout. Apply full back elevator as you begin the roll (transferring weight to wings). The aircraft will lift off at a lower than normal speed — this is intentional. Once airborne, lower the nose slightly to remain in ground effect and accelerate to Vx or Vy before climbing away from the surface.

Soft-field landing

The goal is the gentlest possible touchdown — minimum vertical velocity at the moment of wheel contact. Full flaps for maximum lift at minimum speed. Carry some power through the flare — more than a normal landing — to achieve minimum sink rate at touchdown. Do not go to idle as in a normal landing; carry power until the main wheels touch. Touch down with minimal sink rate. After touchdown, hold the nose up as long as possible to prevent the nose gear from digging into the soft surface. Avoid braking — let the surface itself slow the aircraft.

Lesson 5 — Steep Turns

The steep turn (45° bank, at least 360°) is the checkride maneuver that most directly tests whether you can maintain precise aircraft control under increased load factor. It appears simple but requires constant, coordinated corrections to hold all parameters within ACS tolerance simultaneously.

Why altitude tends to drop in a steep turn

As bank angle increases toward 45°, load factor increases to 1.41G. The wings must generate 41% more lift to maintain level flight. More lift requires either more angle of attack or more speed — in a coordinated bank, you provide back pressure to increase AOA. If you don't add enough back pressure, altitude bleeds off. If you add too much, you climb. Finding and holding the exact back pressure is the skill.

Additionally, as lift increases to support the load, induced drag increases — the aircraft wants to slow down. Adding power (typically 75–200 RPM or 1–2 inches MAP) helps maintain airspeed and aids in altitude maintenance. The entry and exit are the most demanding moments — the rapid change in bank requires coordinated adjustment of back pressure and power simultaneously.

Procedure

Setup: At Va or below. Clear the area (two 90° clearing turns). Select a prominent reference point on the horizon or a specific compass heading. Establish cruise airspeed.

Entry: Smoothly roll to 45° bank. Simultaneously apply back pressure to maintain altitude and add power to maintain airspeed. Establish the correct bank, back pressure, and power before the first 90° of turn.

During the turn: Keep the bank precisely at 45° — don't let it creep. Cross-check: bank angle, altitude, airspeed, coordination (ball). Adjust back pressure as needed to hold altitude within ±100 ft.

Rollout: Lead the rollout by approximately half the bank angle — about 20–25° before the target heading. Roll out smoothly, simultaneously reducing back pressure and power to cruise settings. A rushed or late rollout produces heading errors and altitude deviations.

Lesson 6 — Slow Flight and Stalls

Slow flight — minimum controllable airspeed

Slow flight is conducted at minimum controllable airspeed (MCA) — the slowest speed at which the aircraft remains controllable in straight-and-level flight with the stall warning possibly activating. It demonstrates aircraft control authority at the very slow speeds encountered in the approach and landing phases.

At MCA, the aircraft is flying at high angle of attack. Control response changes dramatically: ailerons are less effective (and cause more adverse yaw), elevator has less authority, and rudder becomes the primary control for heading. Students accustomed to cruise flight are surprised by how slowly the aircraft responds and how much right rudder is needed to prevent left-turning tendency at high AOA and partial power.

Stall recognition and recovery — the most safety-critical skill

A stall is the aerodynamic event where angle of attack exceeds the critical AOA and lift drops dramatically. Stall recognition means identifying the signs that a stall is approaching — before the break occurs — and taking corrective action:

• Stall warning horn: activates typically 5–10 kts above stall. This is your first warning.
• Buffet: turbulent airflow from the stalled wing root strikes the tail, creating a characteristic vibration in the controls.
• Pitch attitude: extremely nose-high in a power-off stall; this is the context clue before the warning activates.
• Sluggish controls: control response noticeably reduced — elevator and aileron inputs require more deflection for the same response.

Power-on stall (departure configuration)

Simulates the departure stall — stalling during or shortly after takeoff at high power. Most dangerous close to the ground because recovery altitude is minimal. Setup: reduce power, establish climb attitude, then apply full power. Slow to stall at full power in climb attitude. Recovery: pitch forward (unload the wing), maintain full power, right rudder aggressively, retract flaps in stages.

Lesson 7 — Ground Reference Maneuvers

Ground reference maneuvers — turns around a point, S-turns across a road, rectangular course — develop the skill of maintaining a desired ground track by varying bank angle to compensate for wind drift. This skill directly applies to every traffic pattern you'll ever fly.

The wind correction principle

Groundspeed varies continuously as you turn in the presence of wind. On the downwind side of a circle around a point, your groundspeed is highest (wind adds to your airspeed over the ground) — you need the steepest bank to make the tightest turn and maintain the circle radius. On the upwind side, groundspeed is lowest — shallowest bank and widest turn to maintain the same radius.

Entry technique for turns around a point: Enter on the downwind side with 45-degree bank established. As you turn crosswind, the bank progressively decreases. By the upwind side, you are at your shallowest bank. Then progressively increase bank back to 45° as you return to the downwind side. The bank is constantly changing — never hold a fixed bank in a ground reference maneuver.

Lesson 8 — Engine Failure and Emergency Procedures

Engine failure after takeoff — the most critical emergency

Engine failure immediately after takeoff gives you almost no time and very little altitude. Every second matters. The correct response is a memorized, automatic sequence — there is no time to think through the checklist.

The go-around — a professional decision

The go-around is one of the most important maneuvers in aviation — not because it is technically difficult, but because making the correct decision to execute one requires overcoming the human desire to "save" a bad approach. DPEs respect pilots who initiate timely go-arounds. They do not respect pilots who "squeeze it in" from an obviously unsafe position.

Initiate a go-around whenever: The approach is unstabilized below 500 ft AGL. The runway is occupied by another aircraft, vehicle, or person. You will not be able to touch down in the first third of the runway. You have any doubt about safely completing the landing. The DPE says "go around."

Go-around procedure: Full power immediately. Establish a positive-rate climb attitude. Carburetor heat OFF (if on). Retract flaps in stages per POH — not all at once. Track runway centerline. Climb to pattern altitude. Advise ATC or announce on CTAF. Fly a complete pattern to the next approach.