Definition
The power-off 180 accuracy approach and landing tests whether a pilot can convert a known quantity of altitude and energy into a landing at a chosen spot without adding power. The airplane is positioned on downwind parallel to the landing runway, the throttle is closed abeam the selected touchdown point, and the remainder of the approach is flown as a glide.
FAA-S-ACS-7 requires the applicant to plan and follow a flightpath to the selected landing area considering altitude, wind, terrain and obstructions; to select the most suitable touchdown point based on wind, landing surface, obstructions and aircraft limitations; to configure the airplane correctly; to correlate crosswind with the direction of a forward slip and transition to a sideslip before touchdown as necessary; and to touch down at a proper pitch attitude within 200 feet beyond or on the specified point with no side drift.
The tolerance is deliberately one-sided. Landing short is not within tolerance at all, while landing long is permitted only to 200 feet — which mirrors the real consequence structure of an engine-out approach, where undershooting is the failure that matters.
Why It Matters for Flight Schools
For a commercial course this is the maneuver where slip technique, energy judgement and touchdown discipline are examined together, and instructors often use it as the practical bridge between airwork and the emergency syllabus. A student who can consistently make the point without power has demonstrated the judgement that a simulated engine failure is trying to test, in a controlled and repeatable setting.
Operationally it needs a runway and a traffic pattern that will tolerate a power-off circuit, so schools at busy fields often have to plan when and where the maneuver is practised, and standardise how instructors brief the abeam position so grading is consistent across the fleet.
How Aviatize Handles This
Aviatize can hold the power-off 180 as a distinct syllabus objective with the school's own notes on the abeam position and configuration attached, so every instructor briefs and grades it the same way. The per-attempt record shows whether a student is consistently long, consistently short, or inconsistent — three different problems with three different fixes, which a single satisfactory-or-not mark would hide.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the tolerance on the power-off 180?
- FAA-S-ACS-7 requires touchdown at a proper pitch attitude within 200 feet beyond or on the specified point, with no side drift. The tolerance is one-sided: there is no allowance for landing short of the point, only up to 200 feet beyond it.
- Where does the power-off 180 begin?
- The airplane is positioned on the downwind leg parallel to the landing runway, and the throttle is closed abeam the selected touchdown point. Everything after that is flown as a glide, with configuration and any slip used to manage the remaining energy onto the point.
- Can I use a slip during the power-off 180?
- Yes, and the ACS anticipates it. The skill list requires the applicant to correlate crosswind with the direction of a forward slip and to transition to a sideslip before touchdown as necessary, so slip technique is part of the graded maneuver rather than an improvisation.