Definition
Movable wing components — most commonly flaps and slats — designed to increase the lift produced by the wing at low airspeeds, allowing the aircraft to fly safely at slower speeds during takeoff, approach, and landing.
Plain English
Parts of the wing that extend or droop down to help the wing produce more lift when the airplane is flying slowly, so it can take off and land at lower speeds without stalling.
Context Anchor
Seen in slow-speed flight, approach, landing, takeoff, and aircraft configuration discussions.
Why Pilots Care
They lower the stall speed, shorten takeoff and landing distances, and improve safety when operating near the ground or in confined areas.
Grounding Statement
When these devices are extended, the wing can support the airplane at a lower speed, but the airplane usually also feels more drag.
Intuition Check
Do not read “high lift” as “high-speed lift” or “extra climb power.” Here it means the wing is being helped to make enough lift while the airplane is moving slower.
Example Sentence 1
On final approach, the pilot extended the high lift devices to reduce the landing speed and improve control.
Example Sentence 2
With the high lift devices deployed, the airplane could fly safely below its clean-configuration stall speed.