Definition
The stall speed of an aircraft as shown on the airspeed indicator, expressed in indicated airspeed (IAS) rather than true airspeed. It is the speed reading at which the wing will stop producing enough lift to sustain level flight in a given configuration, read directly off the cockpit instrument without correction for instrument error, position error, or air density.
Plain English
The stall speed as it appears on your airspeed indicator in the cockpit — the number you actually see on the gauge when the wing is about to stop flying.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall speed charts, performance planning, and aircraft operating handbooks when comparing how configuration or bank angle changes stall speed.
Derivation
"Indicated" comes from the Latin indicare, meaning "to point out or show." In aviation, an "indicated" value is simply what the instrument is pointing to — the raw reading — as opposed to a corrected or calculated value.
Why Pilots Care
Sets the baseline for safe takeoff, approach, and maneuvering speeds with appropriate margins.
Grounding Statement
If the airplane is in the condition listed on the chart and the airspeed indicator drops to the indicated stall speed, a stall is expected.
Intuition Check
Do not assume indicated stall speed is one fixed number for the airplane. It is the speed shown on the airspeed indicator for a specific condition, and it can change with weight, flap setting, and bank angle.
Example Sentence 1
At maximum gross weight in a level turn, the chart showed an indicated stall speed of 58 knots, so the pilot kept the airspeed needle well above that during the approach.
Example Sentence 2
At maximum takeoff weight the indicated stall speed rose by several knots according to the chart.