SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-critical-angle-of-attack-stall

What always causes a wing to stall?

Exceeding the critical angle of attack, at any airspeed or attitude.

  1. Flying slower than the published stall speed
  2. Raising the nose too high
  3. Exceeding the critical angle of attack ✔

Why: A wing stalls when the airflow separates because the angle of attack is too big. That can happen at any airspeed or pitch attitude. Stall speed changes with weight and load, but the critical angle does not.

Huh, didn't know that: A stall is defined as a rapid decrease in lift caused by airflow separating from the wing's surface.

The dad joke
Why did the stall horn join the choir? It always hits the high notes.
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Sources

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Glossary https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-25c.pdf

Test yourself in the game

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