If you just mean slow level flight with the engine nearly at idle (just enough power to not descend), then yeah, that's just normal slow flight. You had experienced pilots who couldn't do that? (actually, now that I think about it, I know a few who seem to have binary throttles...)

I was reacting to your "fair amount of power" part, which made it sound like you were holding a high AOA, on the backside of the power curve.