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Angle of attack is the angle between a wing's chord line and what?

The relative wind, the direction the air meets the wing.

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  1. The relative wind ✔
  2. The horizon
  3. The runway

Why: Angle of attack is not the same as pitch attitude. It compares the wing to the airflow it actually meets, not to the ground or the horizon.

Huh, didn't know that: The FAA defines it as the acute angle between the chord line of the airfoil and the direction of the relative wind.

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References

Answer: The relative wind. Angle of attack is not the same as pitch attitude. It compares the wing to the airflow it actually meets, not to the ground or the horizon.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/07_phak_ch5_0.pdf
    the acute angle between the chord line of the airfoil and the direction of the relative wind.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/07_phak_ch5_0.pdf
    The chord line is an imaginary line drawn through the blade from its leading edge to its trailing edge.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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