Plain English Meaning

AOA is the angle at which the wing meets the oncoming air. The steeper that angle gets, the more lift the wing makes — until the angle becomes too steep, at which point the wing stops flying and stalls.

Full Definition

The angle between the wing's chord line (an imaginary straight line from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the wing) and the relative wind (the direction of airflow meeting the wing). AOA is the primary factor controlling how much lift a wing produces, and exceeding the wing's critical AOA causes an aerodynamic stall regardless of airspeed or attitude.

Context Anchor

Used during approach and landing discussions, especially when managing , , and how close the wing is to a .