Definition
A descent in which the pilot deliberately manages pitch attitude, power, and airspeed so the airplane loses altitude at a chosen, predictable rate rather than an uncommanded or excessive one.
Plain English
Coming down on purpose at a steady, chosen speed of descent — not just letting the airplane sink however it wants.
Context Anchor
Seen in power-off approaches, emergency landing practice, and landing discussions where the pilot must manage the airplane’s glide without help from engine power.
Why Pilots Care
Without engine thrust (or with reduced thrust), the airplane will descend whether the pilot likes it or not. Controlling the rate of that descent is what determines whether the airplane lands on the runway, short of it, or long. It is the core skill of any power-off or low-power approach.
Grounding Statement
With little or no power, the airplane still needs to descend smoothly and predictably rather than sink suddenly toward the ground.
Intuition Check
Do not read controlled as meaning automatically slow or shallow. Here, controlled means the pilot is actively managing the descent so it stays predictable and safe.
Example Sentence 1
Once the engine quit, the instructor demonstrated a controlled rate of descent toward the field, adjusting pitch to hold best glide speed.
Example Sentence 2
Without propeller slipstream, a slightly lower pitch attitude was needed to keep the controlled rate of descent on target.