Unusual Attitudes/Recoveries
Familiarization
If upright and airspeed is less than 150 KIAS, maintain neutral aileron and rudder and push the nose over
to maintain an AOA indication of between 5 and 10 units (you will be between 0 and 1 g). Hold this AOA
until the nose falls through the horizon and the aircraft accelerates to 150 KIAS. Then roll wings level and
return to level flight. If inverted, maintain neutral aileron and rudder and let the nose drop through the
horizon while continuing to maintain no more than 17 units of AOA until the aircraft accelerates to 150
KIAS.
Level the wings in the shorter direction, raise the nose to the horizon, and adjust the power for straight and
level flight. Do not exceed optimum AOA. During recovery at low speeds, you must be careful not to stall
the aircraft.
NOSE-LOW UNUSUAL ATTITUDES
CONCERNS
During recovery at high speeds, be careful not to overstress the aircraft—avoid rolling pullouts. Altitude
loss is also a factor, so you should be familiar with the dive recovery charts in the NATOPS flight manual.
CAUSES
Inadvertent nose-low unusual attitudes are typically caused by improperly executed overhead aerobatic or
tactical stage maneuvers.
RECOVERY
When given control of the aircraft, simultaneously neutralize the flight controls and analyze the situation by
scanning the appropriate instruments (i.e., ADI, AOA, airspeed, altimeter).
To recover from a nose-low condition with your airspeed above 150 KIAS, reduce the power to IDLE to
control airspeed and to minimize the loss of altitude. If the airspeed is rapidly increasing, extend the speed
brakes as necessary. Level the wings (if inverted, roll upright in the shorter direction) and then raise the
nose to the horizon without exceeding g limits or 17 units of AOA. When back in a level flight attitude,
retract the speed brakes and advance the power for level flight.
VERTICAL RECOVERY
It is during an improperly flown overhead maneuver or in the ACM environment that you are most likely to
find yourself extremely nose-high and rapidly running out of airspeed. Unlike the nose-low and nose-high
recoveries where the instructor places you into an unusual attitude, for the vertical recovery you will fly the
aircraft into an attitude that will require you to perform the recovery.
ENTRY
Complete the prestall and aerobatic checklist prior to performing this maneuver. Begin the maneuver at
280 KIAS. Execute a wings level 4-g pullup to a 60-degree, nose-high climb attitude.
RECOVERY
At 180 KIAS, advance the power to MRT and ensure that the speed brakes are retracted. Push the nose
over and maintain 5 to 10 units of AOA (between 0 and 1 g). Allow the nose to fall below the horizon and
let the aircraft accelerate to 150 KIAS. If necessary, at 150 KIAS, roll in the shorter direction to wings level
before raising the nose smoothly to the horizon. Do not exceed optimum AOA (17 units). Adjust the power
for straight and level flight.
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