Definition
Performance charts published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) that show the airspeed at which an aircraft will stall under various combinations of weight, bank angle, flap setting, and power configuration. These charts allow the pilot to determine the minimum flying speed for a given configuration before flight or maneuver.
Plain English
Tables or graphs in the aircraft's manual that tell you the slowest speed you can fly before the wing stops producing enough lift, depending on how the aircraft is set up — its weight, how steeply it's banked, and whether the flaps are extended.
Context Anchor
You see stall speed performance charts when studying aircraft performance and when planning takeoffs, landings, slow flight, or turns where stall margin matters.
Derivation
“Stall” originally means to stop or come to a standstill. In aviation, it does not mean the engine stops; it means the wing has stopped producing smooth, dependable lift because the airflow over it has broken down. “Performance chart” means a chart that shows how the aircraft performs under stated conditions.
Why Pilots Care
These charts allow pilots to know the actual stall speed for the current conditions so they can maintain a safe margin above stall during turns, climbs, and landings.
Grounding Statement
The same airplane can have different stall speeds depending on how it is loaded, configured, and maneuvered.
Intuition Check
Do not read “stall” here as an engine stopping. In this context, stall means the wing is no longer producing smooth, reliable lift. Do not assume stall speed is one unchanging number. These charts show stall speed for specific conditions.
Example Sentence 1
Before practicing steep turns, the pilot checked the stall speed performance chart and noted that stall speed at a 60-degree bank was significantly higher than in level flight.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight planning the instructor used the stall speed performance charts to set the minimum approach speed for the day’s weight and flap setting.