Flight Instructor for Airplane Category › X. Slow flight, Stalls, and Spins › Task B. Demonstration of Flight Characteristics at Various Configurations and Airspeeds (ASEL and ASES)

AI.X.B.R4

Risk management

Inadvertent exceedance of the critical angle of attack.

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Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

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Airplane Flying Handbook p. G-10
Glossary › Numbers and Symbols
trimmed angle of attack after displacement. M Mach buffet. Airflow separation behind a shock-wave pressure barrier caused by airflow over flight surfaces exceeding the speed of sound. Mach compensating device. A device to alert the pilot of inadvertent excursions ... beyond its certified maximum operating speed. Mach critical. The Mach speed at which some portion of the airflow over the wing first equals Mach 1.0. This is also the speed at which a shock wave first appears on the airplane…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 5-23
Chapter 5: Aerodynamics of Flight › Aerodynamic Forces in Flight Maneuvers › Forces in Turns
horizontal component of lift. It is found that the horizontal component of lift is proportional to the angle of bank—that is, it increases or decreases respectively as the angle of bank increases or decreases. As the angle of bank ... increasing the rate of turn (ROT). Consequently, at any given airspeed, the ROT can be controlled by adjusting the angle of bank. To provide a vertical component of lift sufficient to hold altitude in a level turn, an increase…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 5-26
Chapter 5: Aerodynamics of Flight › Angle of Attack Indicators
between the current AOA that the airfoil is operating at, and the AOA at which the airfoil will stall (critical AOA). Figure 5-39. Increase in stall speed and load factor. Figure 5-40. Inflight ice formation. Angle of attack ... Speed by itself is not a reliable parameter to avoid a stall. An airplane can stall at any speed. Angle of attack is a better parameter to use to avoid a stall. For a given configuration, the airplane always stalls…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 8-22
Chapter 8: Flight Instruments › Angle of Attack Indicators
Angle of Attack Indicators The purpose of an AOA indicator is to give the pilot better situational awareness pertaining to the aerodynamic health of the airfoil. This can also be referred to as stall margin awareness. More simply explained ... between the current AOA that the airfoil is operating at, and the AOA at which the airfoil will stall (critical AOA). Speed by itself is not a reliable parameter to avoid a stall. An airplane can stall at any speed…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 7-4
Chapter 7: Ground Reference Maneuvers › Drift and Ground Track Control › Constant Radius During Turning Flight
turn. For a given true airspeed, the radius of turn in the air varies proportionally with the bank angle. To maintain a constant radius over the ground, the bank angle used is proportional to groundspeed. For example, an airplane ... true, calibrated, and indicated airspeed are all the same). If the pilot starts a turn using a 45° bank angle, the turn radius over the ground at that moment is approximately 890 feet. As the airplane turns, the groundspeed decreases…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 5-38
Chapter 5: Aerodynamics of Flight › Load Factors › Rate of Turn
determined by taking the constant of 1,091, multiplying it by the tangent of any bank angle and dividing that product by a given airspeed in knots as illustrated in Figure 5-55. If the airspeed is increased ... desired is to be constant, the angle of bank must be increased, otherwise, the ROT decreases. Likewise, if the airspeed is held constant, an aircraft’s ROT increases if the bank angle is increased. The formula in Figures…