The Stall Turn

The Stall Turn is one of the most graceful aerobatic figures. When flown well it is beautiful to watch. The figure can be divided into a series of sections for judging:

The entry and pull to vertical

• Is the entry from truly level flight?
• Part-loops must have constant radii.
• Is the vertical hit correctly?
• Is the aeroplane on axis at all times?

The vertical up line

• Does the line stay vertical?
• Does the aeroplane stay on axis?

It is common for the aeroplane to roll on the up-line, especially towards the top

The turn itself

• Is the centre of the turn within one wing? Bridging must be downgraded.
• Is the aeroplane pitching or rolling during the turn?

What is not judged

• The rate of the turn - slow or fast.
• The lengths of the up and down lines.

Practical Tips

• Look carefully to see if the aeroplane is vertical all the way up to the turn.
• Check that the wing trailing edges are parallel to the horizon during the vertical line - ie. no yaw or wing-low.
• Look for pitch and roll during the turn.
• Look for roll correction after the turn has been completed.
• Check that the aeroplane is exactly vertical during the whole down-line.
• Check that the entry and exit part-loops are all smooth and of constant radius.