Commercial Pilot ACS Study Guide: Chandelles (ASEL, ASES)

A chandelle is a maximum-performance climbing turn that challenges a pilot to convert airspeed into altitude while maintaining coordination, precise bank control, and awareness of the airplane’s energy state. It is not an aerobatic maneuver or simply a steep turn performed while climbing. The objective is to execute a smooth, coordinated 180° turn that finishes at the airplane’s minimum controllable airspeed, with the wings level and the aircraft under positive control.

For the commercial pilot applicant, the chandelle demonstrates the ability to manage pitch and bank through a changing energy state. As airspeed decreases and altitude increases, the pilot must anticipate how the airplane responds rather than rely on abrupt corrections. The maneuver rewards planning, coordination, and an understanding of the relationship between lift, load factor, and airspeed.

The Performance Goal: Altitude Without Losing Control

The chandelle’s purpose is to obtain the greatest practical altitude gain for a selected power setting and bank angle. However, the FAA evaluates the pilot’s control and execution—not a specific number of feet gained. The maneuver concludes in a nose-high, wings-level attitude just above stall speed, followed by a controlled return to straight-and-level flight.

This distinction is important. A pilot who aggressively pulls for altitude may create an excessive angle of attack and stall before completing the turn. A pilot who is too conservative with pitch may finish with excess airspeed and fail to demonstrate maximum performance. The correct technique balances both outcomes.

Understanding the Two Halves

The chandelle is divided into two distinct phases. Each half has a different control priority, and the transition at 90° is the defining point of the maneuver.

1. First 90° — Increasing pitch

Establish approximately 30° of bank and maintain a constant bank angle while continuously increasing pitch. Airspeed decreases as the airplane climbs. The maximum pitch attitude is reached at the 90° point.

1. Second 90° — Decreasing bank

Maintain the pitch attitude established at 90° while smoothly reducing bank at a coordinated, constant rate. The wings should become level at the 180° point as the airplane reaches an airspeed just above the stall.

The first half establishes the airplane’s energy trajectory. The second half manages the decreasing airspeed and changing turn rate so the maneuver finishes precisely.

Before Entry: Build a Safe Margin

The entry should be deliberate, not rushed. Clear the area, select suitable visual references, and choose an altitude that allows the entire maneuver to be performed no lower than 1,500 feet AGL. Consider terrain, obstacles, traffic, and the available airspace before beginning.

Establish the appropriate entry configuration, power, and airspeed using the aircraft’s POH/AFM and your instructor’s procedures. The airplane should be configured for maximum-performance climb, with flaps and landing gear positioned as appropriate for the aircraft. Avoid assuming that one entry speed or power setting applies to every airplane.

The pilot should also consider weight, density altitude, and aircraft performance. These factors influence the amount of altitude that can be gained and how the airplane responds as airspeed decreases. A chandelle performed at a high density altitude may look and feel different from one performed under more favorable conditions, even when the same control principles are used.

Executing the First 90°: Establishing the Climb

Begin with a smooth, coordinated entry into approximately 30° of bank. Apply the appropriate power and progressively increase pitch while maintaining the bank angle. The pitch increase should be continuous and timed so the maximum pitch attitude is reached at the 90° point.

The pilot must avoid treating the maneuver as a race to reach a nose-high attitude. Pulling too aggressively early in the turn can cause airspeed to decrease too rapidly, increasing the risk of a stall before the maneuver is complete. Conversely, insufficient pitch may leave the airplane with too much airspeed at the end of the turn.

Coordination becomes increasingly important as the airplane slows. Power changes, torque, P-factor, and other left-turning tendencies may require changing rudder pressure. The pilot should maintain coordinated flight while using outside references to judge pitch and bank, supported by a disciplined instrument scan.

The 90° Transition: Where Precision Matters Most

At the 90° point, the airplane should have reached its maximum pitch attitude for the maneuver. From this point forward, the pilot maintains that pitch attitude and begins a smooth, coordinated rollout.

This is where many applicants unintentionally change the maneuver’s energy profile. Lowering the nose to preserve airspeed or continuing to increase pitch during the second half can prevent the intended maximum-performance result. The objective is to maintain the selected pitch attitude while bank decreases and airspeed continues to decay.

The rollout must be timed to finish at 180°. Rolling out too quickly leaves the airplane wings level before the turn is complete; rolling out too slowly may cause the airplane to overshoot the desired heading. The pilot should anticipate the changing rate of turn rather than make a last-second correction.

Aerodynamics the Examiner Expects You to Understand

Load factor and accelerated stalls

As bank angle increases in a level turn, load factor increases and stall speed rises. During a chandelle, the airplane is climbing and the bank angle changes, so the pilot must understand how load factor and angle of attack interact rather than assume stall speed is a single fixed value. An excessive pitch input or abrupt control movement can create an accelerated stall.

The maneuver should finish just above stall speed, but the pilot must never attempt to force the airplane to stall in order to achieve the standard. Maintaining coordination and avoiding excessive angle of attack are essential.

Maneuvering speed and weight

Maneuvering speed decreases as aircraft weight decreases. Applicants should understand the relationship between maneuvering speed, weight, and structural limitations, and should not treat maneuvering speed as permission to make abrupt or excessive control inputs. The appropriate entry airspeed must be selected in accordance with the aircraft’s limitations and training procedures.

Overbanking tendencies

In a climbing turn, the outside wing travels a greater distance and may produce more lift than the inside wing, contributing to an overbanking tendency. The pilot must recognize and counter this tendency with coordinated aileron and rudder inputs as necessary, particularly while maintaining the constant bank during the first half.

These aerodynamic topics are specifically included in the ACS knowledge requirements for chandelles.

ACS Performance Standards

The current Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS identifies chandelles as Area of Operation V, Task C. The applicant must demonstrate the following skills:

Common Errors and How to Recognize Them

A chandelle often reveals small control errors that become more significant as airspeed decreases. Watch for these patterns during training:

• Pitching too aggressively: Airspeed decays prematurely, increasing the risk of stalling before the 180° point.
• Insufficient pitch: The airplane finishes with excess airspeed and does not achieve the intended maximum-performance result.
• Inconsistent bank in the first half: The turn rate and energy profile become difficult to predict.
• Changing pitch during the second half: The pilot disrupts the established energy profile instead of maintaining the selected attitude.
• Poor rollout timing: The wings become level before or after the desired 180° heading.
• Inadequate rudder coordination: Left-turning tendencies and changing airspeed are not properly managed.
• Fixation on instruments or references: The pilot loses awareness of traffic, terrain, or the airplane’s overall flight condition.

The most effective corrections are smooth and anticipatory. Abrupt control inputs near the end of the maneuver can increase angle of attack and create unnecessary risk.

Preparing for the Commercial Checkride

Be ready to explain the maneuver as a sequence of aerodynamic decisions, not merely a memorized procedure. An examiner may ask why pitch increases during the first half, why bank decreases during the second half, how weight affects maneuvering speed, or what would happen if the airplane were pitched too aggressively.

You should also be able to discuss how you would recognize an impending stall, why coordination is especially important at low airspeed, and how you would recover if the maneuver were not developing safely. A commercial pilot should demonstrate the judgment to discontinue an unstable maneuver rather than attempt to salvage it at the expense of safety.

Final Perspective

The chandelle is a test of how effectively a pilot can manage an airplane as its energy state changes. The goal is not to make the maneuver look dramatic; it is to achieve maximum performance through precise, coordinated, and predictable control.

With practice, the pilot learns to recognize the correct pitch progression, anticipate the rollout, and maintain awareness as airspeed approaches the lower end of the operating range. Those skills extend beyond the practical test and contribute to a deeper understanding of aircraft performance and control.

FAA References

• Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B)  — Area of Operation V, Task C: Chandelles.
• Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 10: Performance Maneuvers  — Chandelle procedures and common errors.
• FAA Aviation Handbooks and Manuals  — Current handbook editions and addenda.

This article is a supplemental study resource and does not replace the current FAA ACS, aircraft POH/AFM, or instruction from a qualified flight instructor.