Definition
The total aerodynamic load that the wings must support at any given moment, expressed as the lift the wings are producing relative to the aircraft's weight. In a level, unaccelerated flight the wings carry a load equal to the aircraft's weight, but in a turn or pull-up the wings must produce more lift, so the aerodynamic wing loading increases. It is commonly expressed as a load factor (G).
Plain English
How hard the wings are working to hold the aircraft up at a given moment. In straight and level flight the wings just carry the aircraft's weight. In a steep turn or a pull-up, the wings have to lift much more than that, so the load on them goes up.
Context Anchor
Seen in steep turn discussions when explaining why load factor and stall speed increase as bank angle increases.
Derivation
Aerodynamic' comes from Greek aer (air) and dynamis (force or power), so it refers to forces produced by air. 'Loading' here means the load placed on a structure. Together it describes the load the air is placing on the wing through the lift it must produce.
Why Pilots Care
Increased aerodynamic wing loading in steep turns raises stall speed and requires higher airspeed or angle of attack to avoid loss of lift.
Grounding Statement
In a 60-degree level bank, the wings must produce about twice the airplane’s weight in lift, so the aerodynamic wing loading is much higher than in straight-and-level flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “loading” as cargo or baggage. Here, it means the force placed on the wings by the need to support and turn the airplane.
Example Sentence 1
As the bank angle increased through 60 degrees, the aerodynamic wing loading doubled and the pilot felt the additional G.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot monitors aerodynamic wing loading during steep-turn practice to prevent an accelerated stall.