I can't let this one go. Where in heaven's name do you get your
information?
Your assertions re airline pilots is absurd.

Here are the stall maneuver requirements for an ATP check ride:

B. TASK: APPROACHES TO STALLS
REFERENCES: FAR Part 61; AC 61-21; FSB Report; Pilot's Operating
Handbook, AFM.
THREE approaches to stall are required, as follows (unless otherwise
specified by the FSB Report):
1. One in the takeoff configuration (except where the airplane
uses only zero-flap takeoff configuration) or approach configuration.
2. One in a clean configuration.
3. One in a landing configuration.
One of these approaches to a stall must be accomplished while in a
turn using a bank angle of 15 to 30°.
Objective. To determine that the applicant:
1. Exhibits adequate knowledge of the factors which influence stall
characteristics, including the use of various drag configurations, power
settings, pitch attitudes, weights, and bank angles. Also, exhibits adequate
knowledge of the proper procedure for resuming normal flight.
2. Selects an entry altitude, when accomplished in an airplane, that
is in accordance with the AFM or Operating Handbook, but in no case lower
than an altitude that will allow recovery to be safely completed at a
minimum of 3,000 feet (900 meters) AGL. When accomplished in an FTD or
flight simulator, the entry altitude may be at low, intermediate, or high
altitude as appropriate for the airplane and the configuration, at the
discretion of the examiner.
3. Observes the area is clear of other aircraft prior to
accomplishing an approach to a stall.
4. While maintaining altitude, slowly establishes the pitch attitude
(using trim or elevator/stabilizer), bank angle, and power setting that will
induce stall at the desired target airspeed.
5. Announces the first indication of an impending stall (such as
buffeting, stick shaker, decay of control effectiveness, and any other cues
related to the specific airplane design characteristics) and initiates
recovery or as directed by the examiner (using maximum power or as directed
by the examiner).
6. Recovers to a reference airspeed, altitude and heading, allowing
only the acceptable altitude or airspeed loss, and heading deviation.
7. Demonstrates smooth, positive airplane control during entry,
approach to a stall, and recovery.

In several hundred ATP evaluations,including PCs, PTs, line checks and ATP
rating rides, - in both simulators and airplanes - I have never seen
a applicant who thought that pulling back on the yoke always made the
aircraft go up.
In fact, almost the opposite was true. During the wind shear accidents of
the '70s, it was very hard to get the
average ATP pilot to fly on the edge of the stick shaker (which gave maximum
performance during a departure or go around
wind shear situation.)

Sim check pilots don't demonstrate full stalls during instruction or check
rides because it is not required and would serve no
useful purpose. The point is to recognize the onset of a stall and never
let one develop.

By the time a pilot gets to - and through - airline training. all the
nonsense information that surrounds flying is pretty much excised.

One could only hope that this were true about RAS, as well.

Allan Pratt
Minden, NV



This is even true of airline pilots. Because the aircraft is flown
so often on the front side of the curve, despite knowing and training that
pulling back on the stick doesn't always make the aircraft go
up, seeing it happen that way the last bijillion times
you did it is sometimes psychologically compelling.


The airlines seem to know this and that's why they love
those simulators. On the bad side, some of the airlines
sim check pilots don't force the plane into a stall that the pilot must
recover from, and I suspect that some pilots who avoid stalls in
the sim may not see them for a long time, and may not
recover correctly when they unexpectedly occur.

Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA