Definition
A standardized sequence of pilot actions used to recover an airplane from a stall or impending stall, developed jointly by industry and regulators and adopted by the FAA as the recommended recovery procedure for all airplanes. The template's core steps are: disconnect the autopilot and autothrottle; apply nose-down pitch control until stall warning is eliminated; roll wings level; add thrust as needed; retract speedbrakes/spoilers; and return to the desired flightpath.
Plain English
A simple, memorized step-by-step procedure that every pilot can use to recover from a stall, no matter what airplane they are flying. The steps are done in order: hand-fly the airplane, push the nose down until the stall warning stops, level the wings, add power, clean up the airplane, then climb back to where you wanted to be.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Airplane Flying Handbook figure on stall recovery, and used when learning, briefing, or practicing stall recoveries with an instructor.
Derivation
"Template" comes from the Latin "templum," originally meaning a pattern or guide used to shape something consistently. Calling this a template signals that the same pattern of actions applies across all airplane types, not just one specific model.
Why Pilots Care
Following the template produces the fastest, safest recovery with the least altitude loss and prevents the common error of trying to climb too soon.
Grounding Statement
When the airplane shows signs of a stall, the template points the pilot to fix the wing’s airflow first, then manage power, direction, and the return to normal flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “template” as a rigid script that overrides the airplane’s approved procedure. It is a standard recovery pattern; the airplane’s flight manual and instructor guidance still control the exact details.
Example Sentence 1
During training, the instructor had the student perform the stall recovery template from a power-off stall, emphasizing nose-down pitch before adding thrust.
Example Sentence 2
By memorizing the stall recovery template, the pilot executed the correct steps without hesitation when the wing stalled during a turn.