FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Flight Maneuvers and EndorsementsMedium
During a steep spiral, a commercial pilot applicant loses situational awareness of altitude. According to the Commercial Pilot ACS, at what minimum altitude above the ground must the recovery from a steep spiral be completed?
- A500 feet AGL
- B1,500 feet AGL
- C1,000 feet AGL
- D2,000 feet AGL
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. 1,000 feet AGL
The Commercial Pilot ACS requires the steep spiral to be performed with a rollout completed no lower than 1,000 feet AGL, providing adequate altitude for recovery and continued safe flight.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 500 feet AGL is below the ACS minimum and would not allow a safe recovery margin.
- B. 1,500 feet AGL exceeds the actual ACS minimum for this maneuver.
- D. 2,000 feet AGL is not the specified ACS altitude for steep spiral completion.
Steep Spiral Minimum Recovery Altitude
A gliding maneuver consisting of three or more 360° turns to develop division of attention and wind-drift correction, which must be completed no lower than 1,000 feet AGL.
- Performed with power at idle in a continuous gliding descent
- Bank angle should not exceed 60°
- Maintains a constant radius around a ground reference point
Memory trick: 'Spiral stops at a grand' — 1,000 feet is the floor.