Definition
An artificial stall warning device that physically vibrates the control column to alert the pilot that the airplane is approaching the critical angle of attack. It is typically driven by an electric motor with an offset weight and is triggered by inputs from angle-of-attack sensors before an aerodynamic stall occurs.
Plain English
A device that shakes the control yoke or stick in your hands to warn you that the airplane is about to stall.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall discussions and in airplanes equipped with automatic stall warning systems, especially larger or higher-performance aircraft.
Derivation
“Stick” is a common aviation word for the pilot’s hand control, and “shaker” describes what the warning device does: it shakes that control. The name is practical because the warning is felt directly through the pilot’s hand.
Why Pilots Care
It delivers an unmistakable physical warning before airflow separates from the wing, giving the pilot time to reduce angle of attack and avoid an unintentional stall or spin entry.
Grounding Statement
When the stick shaker activates, the airplane is warning the pilot by feel, not just by sight or sound.
Intuition Check
A stick shaker is not the pilot shaking the controls. It is an automatic warning that shakes the controls to get the pilot’s attention before a stall.
Example Sentence 1
As the airplane slowed during the approach to stall demonstration, the stick shaker activated and the pilot immediately reduced the angle of attack.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor pointed out that the stick shaker simulates the natural buffet a pilot would feel in an actual stall.