V-speeds & ASI markings
V-speeds mark aircraft limits and best-performance points. ASI arcs and lines, slow end at bottom, fast at top:
| Mark | Range | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| White arc | Vso to Vfe | Flap operating range: landing-config stall to max flap-extended |
| Green arc | Vs1 to Vno | Normal operating range: clean stall to max structural cruising |
| Yellow arc | Vno to Vne | Caution range: smooth air only; above Vno a sharp gust could overstress airframe |
| Red line | Vne | Never-exceed speed |
All V-speeds (TC AIM GEN 1.7; Vb, Vc, Vd, Vf, Vh from Table 1.3):
| Speed | Meaning | On ASI |
|---|---|---|
| Vs | General term: stalling speed or minimum steady controllable flight speed | - |
| Vso (printed Vs0) | Stall speed, landing configuration | Bottom of white arc |
| Vs1 | Stall speed, clean configuration | Bottom of green arc |
| Vfe | Max flap-extended speed | Top of white arc |
| Vno | Max structural cruising speed | Top of green arc |
| Vne | Never-exceed speed | Red line |
| Va | Design manoeuvring speed: max speed for full control travel without exceeding design load factor (TP 13014 q22 key 22-(2)) | No |
| Vr | Rotation speed: rotate nose for takeoff | No |
| Vref | Landing reference speed: target over threshold on approach | No |
| Vlo | Max landing gear operation speed (retractable gear: placard/AFM limit, never ASI-marked) | No |
| Vle | Max speed to fly with gear extended (retractable gear: placard/AFM limit, never ASI-marked) | No |
| Vb | Speed for maximum gust intensity | - |
| Vc | Cruise speed | - |
| Vd | Diving speed | - |
| Vf | Flap speed | - |
| Vh | Maximum level flight speed at maximum continuous power | - |
- TP 1102 gives no numbers: commit them to memory.
- Do not retract above AFM retraction limit. Some gear will not retract above Vlo (TP 1102).
- Flying past Vle risks gear doors or mechanism.
- Climb speeds Vx and Vy: see
climb-speed-selection.
Every speed is aircraft-specific: POH/AFM is the authority.
Trap: the neighbours. Vno vs Vne (top of green vs red line), Vso vs Vs1 (stall flaps-down vs clean), Vlo vs Vle (moving gear vs already extended), Vf vs Vfe (flap speed vs max flap-extended). Vc/Vd are not Vno/Vne limits; Vh is not Vne (never-exceed) or Vno (max structural cruising).
References
- TP 1102 (Flight Training Manual)
- PHAK ch.8 (Vlo/Vle definitions)
- TC AIM GEN 1.7 Table 1.3 (Vlo)
- TP 13014 sample exam q22, key 22-(2)
- TC AIM GEN Table 1.3
- Aircraft POH/AFM (ASI markings)