What Is a Stall?
Big Idea
A stall happens when the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack — the air can no longer flow smoothly over it.
Fun Fact
An airplane can stall at ANY speed and ANY attitude — even pointing straight down! It is all about the angle of the wing to the air.
What You Will Learn
- Understand that a stall is NOT about speed — it is about angle of attack
- See how pulling back too much makes the wing stop producing lift
- Know the critical angle of attack (about 16-18 degrees)
- The recovery is always: reduce angle of attack + add power
Simulator Steps
- Instructor explains angle of attack using the G1000 display
- Watch what happens as you pull back more and more
- The wing angle gets steeper until air can no longer follow the top of the wing
- That is the stall — the wing quits flying!
- To fix it: push forward (reduce angle) and add full power
What You Learned
- Stall = wing exceeds critical angle of attack
- It can happen at any speed
- Recovery: reduce angle + full power