Definition
Two stages of an aerodynamic stall used in flight training. An impending stall is the condition just before the wing actually stalls, recognized by the first indications such as buffeting, the stall warning horn, sluggish controls, or a high pitch attitude with decreasing airspeed; recovery is initiated at this point without letting the wing fully stall. A full stall is the condition reached when the wing's critical angle of attack is exceeded and lift breaks down, typically marked by the stall warning, heavy buffet, and a nose drop or loss of pitch authority; recovery is then performed from that fully stalled state.
Plain English
An impending stall is the moment a pilot notices the wing is about to stop flying and recovers right then. A full stall is when the pilot allows the wing to actually quit flying before recovering. Both are practiced on purpose so the pilot learns to recognize and fix each one.
Context Anchor
Encountered during stall awareness, stall recovery training, flight reviews, and instructor demonstrations of how to recognize a stall before it fully develops.
Derivation
Impending' comes from the Latin impendere, meaning 'to hang over' or 'to be about to happen.' That fits the idea of a stall that is just about to occur but has not yet fully developed. 'Full' simply means the stall has been allowed to complete.
Why Pilots Care
Early recognition of an impending stall allows recovery with minimal altitude loss and prevents entry into a full stall that can lead to loss of control.
Grounding Statement
As the airplane slows or the nose rises too much, the wing can reach a point where the airflow no longer stays smooth over it, and lift drops quickly.
Intuition Check
A stall here does not mean the engine has quit. It means the wing is no longer making normal lift because its angle to the airflow is too great.
Example Sentence 1
During the lesson, the instructor had the student recover at the first buffet to demonstrate an impending stall, then repeat the maneuver and hold the yoke back into a full stall before recovering.
Example Sentence 2
After the full stall developed, the instructor lowered the nose to reduce angle of attack and restore airflow over the wing.