Definition
A training maneuver in which the pilot intentionally flies the airplane toward a stall, recognizes the first signs that a full stall is about to occur, and recovers before the wing actually stalls. The maneuver is practiced both with engine power applied (power-on, simulating a stall during takeoff or climb) and with the engine at idle or reduced power (power-off, simulating a stall during approach to landing). Recovery is initiated at the first indication of an impending stall, such as buffet, stall warning horn, lightened control feel, or rapid loss of airspeed.
Plain English
Practice flying the airplane right up to the point where it is about to stall, noticing the first warning signs, and recovering before the stall actually happens. It is done both with the engine producing power (like during takeoff) and with the engine pulled back (like during landing).
Context Anchor
You encounter this term during flight training when learning stall awareness, takeoff and climb safety, and landing approach safety.
Derivation
"Impending" comes from the Latin impendere, meaning "to hang over" or "to be about to happen." An impending stall is one that is about to occur but has not yet — the pilot recovers while the stall is still hanging over the airplane, not after it has set in.
Why Pilots Care
These maneuvers build the ability to recognize and recover from conditions that commonly lead to loss of control during takeoff or landing.
Grounding Statement
The key idea is to notice the warning signs early, reduce the stall risk, and return the airplane to safe flight before the wing fully stalls.
Intuition Check
Approaches to stalls does not mean instrument approaches or landing approaches. Here, approach means moving toward a stall condition during a training maneuver. Power-on and power-off refer to engine power, not electrical power.
Example Sentence 1
During the checkride, the examiner asked the applicant to demonstrate an approach to a stall in the power-off landing configuration and recover at the first sign of buffet.
Example Sentence 2
Power-on approaches to stalls were practiced to prepare for possible departure stalls shortly after takeoff.