Which statement about stall behavior is true?

Which statement about stall behavior is true?

• A. Stall speed depends on weight.
• B. The stalling angle of attack increases with altitude.
• C. The stalling angle of attack is independent of the speed of airflow over the wings
• D. The stalling angle of attack decreases with weight

Answer: (C)

Stall happens when the wing reaches a critical angle of attack, the point where lift cannot keep up with the weight and the flow begins to separate. That critical angle is determined mainly by the wing’s shape, surface condition, and configuration (flaps, devices, etc.). It isn’t set by how fast the air is moving over the wing. So, for a given aircraft setup, the stall angle of attack stays about the same whether you’re flying slowly or quickly—the airspeed changes the amount of lift needed to reach that point, not the angle at which stall occurs. Weight affects stall speed because heavier weight means more lift is required, which pushes the speed you need to reach that lift higher. Altitude changes the true airspeed needed to reach the same indicated speed due to air density, but the stall angle itself remains essentially constant. That’s why the statement about the stall angle of attack being independent of the actual airflow speed over the wings is true.

Stall happens when the wing reaches a critical angle of attack, the point where lift cannot keep up with the weight and the flow begins to separate. That critical angle is determined mainly by the wing’s shape, surface condition, and configuration (flaps, devices, etc.). It isn’t set by how fast the air is moving over the wing. So, for a given aircraft setup, the stall angle of attack stays about the same whether you’re flying slowly or quickly—the airspeed changes the amount of lift needed to reach that point, not the angle at which stall occurs.

Weight affects stall speed because heavier weight means more lift is required, which pushes the speed you need to reach that lift higher. Altitude changes the true airspeed needed to reach the same indicated speed due to air density, but the stall angle itself remains essentially constant. That’s why the statement about the stall angle of attack being independent of the actual airflow speed over the wings is true.