Definition
The specific angle of attack at which the wing can no longer produce enough lift to support the airplane, because airflow over the upper surface separates and breaks down. This angle is a fixed property of the wing's design and does not change with airspeed, weight, bank angle, or load factor.
Plain English
It is the wing angle, relative to the oncoming air, at which the wing stops flying. Pass that angle and the wing stalls, no matter how fast or slow the airplane is moving.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall awareness, takeoff emergencies, and engine-failure discussions, especially when deciding whether to keep the nose down or attempt a turn back toward the runway.
Derivation
"Stalling" comes from the same root as a stalled engine — something that has stopped working. "Angle of attack" is the angle between the wing's chord line and the relative wind. Combined, the term names the angle at which the wing stops doing its job.
Why Pilots Care
Exceeding stalling AOA causes an immediate loss of lift and control authority at the worst possible moment—low altitude and low airspeed.
Grounding Statement
A wing stalls because of its angle to the oncoming air, not simply because the airplane is slow.
Intuition Check
Do not read “stalling” here as the engine stopping. In this term, stalling AOA is about the wing reaching too high an angle to the airflow and losing normal lift.
Example Sentence 1
If the pilot pulls the nose up sharply after an engine failure, the wing can reach the stalling AOA even at a normal airspeed.
Example Sentence 2
The aircraft’s published stalling AOA remains the same whether the plane is at pattern altitude or on short final.