Final answer:
Slow flight training is crucial for pilots to understand aircraft behavior at low airspeeds, manage stall margin, and learn about increased control sensitivity and induced drag in slow flight conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Slow flight is taught to pilots as a critical part of flight training. The purpose is to familiarize student pilots with the handling characteristics of an airplane as it approaches its minimum controllable airspeed. By practicing slow flight, pilots learn about the increased control inputs necessary to maintain flight at low airspeeds, the effects of induced drag, and how the aircraft responds to control inputs near the edge of its flying capabilities.
During slow flight practice, student pilots experience how the plane's acceleration and deceleration affect its stall margin, which is crucial for safe flight operations, especially during takeoff and landing phases. Figure 2.12, as described, illustrates a plane slowing down for landing, where the deceleration is achieved by applying the concept of reverse thrust. This directly applies to practicing slow flight where managing speed, understanding the aerodynamic effects, and smooth control over the aircraft are part of the training.