Definition
An FAA Advisory Circular titled 'Stall Prevention and Recovery Training,' which provides best practices and recommended training methods for recognizing, preventing, and recovering from stalls in airplanes. It emphasizes reducing angle of attack as the primary recovery action and addresses both full stalls and stall warnings during pilot training.
Plain English
An FAA guidance document that tells flight schools and instructors how stall training should be taught, with the central message that the first action in any stall recovery is to lower the nose to reduce the angle of attack.
Context Anchor
You may see AC 120-109 cited in FAA handbooks, training syllabuses, or instructor discussions about stall prevention and recovery.
Derivation
Advisory Circular numbering uses a series prefix (120 covers air carrier operations) followed by a sequential number. AC 120-109 is the 109th circular issued in the 120 series. The 'AC' label tells you it is FAA guidance — recommended practice, not a regulation.
Why Pilots Care
Stalls remain a leading cause of loss-of-control accidents; following the training guidance in this circular measurably reduces risk during both instruction and line operations.
Intuition Check
Here, “AC” does not mean air conditioning or alternating current. In FAA writing, “AC” usually means Advisory Circular: an official FAA guidance document.
Example Sentence 1
The flight school updated its stall training syllabus to align with the recovery procedures recommended in AC 120-109.
Example Sentence 2
Before the checkride the applicant reviewed AC 120-109 to ensure her stall demonstrations met current FAA expectations.