Definition
The angles formed between the chord line of a wing and the relative wind striking it. The plural form refers to the range of these angles a wing operates through during flight, from low values in cruise to high values during slow flight, takeoff, and landing.
Plain English
The different tilt angles between the wing and the oncoming air as the airplane flies. A wing meets the air at a small angle when cruising fast and a larger angle when flying slowly or climbing.
Context Anchor
Seen when studying stalls, slow flight, takeoffs, landings, and leading edge devices such as slats or slots.
Derivation
Attack' here comes from the French 'attaquer,' meaning to engage or meet. The wing 'attacks' (meets) the oncoming air at a particular angle. The plural simply reflects that this angle changes constantly throughout a flight.
Why Pilots Care
Higher angles increase lift until airflow separates and the wing stalls.
Analogy
Hold your hand flat out of a moving car window. If you tilt it slightly, the air flows over it smoothly; if you tilt it too much, the air buffets and the force changes. A wing behaves in a similar way as its angle of attack changes.
Grounding Statement
Picture the wing meeting the air: a small angle is easy for the air to follow, while too large an angle can make the airflow break away.
Intuition Check
Do not read “attack” as aggression or “angles of attack” as simply nose-up attitude. Here it means the angle between the wing and the oncoming air.
Example Sentence 1
Leading edge slats allow the wing to maintain smooth airflow at higher angles of attack than a clean wing could tolerate.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot maintains safe angles of attack on final approach to preserve lift.