Definition
The immediate, coordinated set of pilot actions used to break a stall that develops during or shortly after takeoff: reduce the angle of attack by smoothly lowering the pitch attitude, apply or maintain maximum allowable power, level the wings with coordinated rudder and aileron, and return to a climb attitude once the wing is flying again — all while minimizing altitude loss because the airplane is close to the ground.
Plain English
How a pilot gets the airplane flying again if it stalls just after lifting off — push the nose down a little to let the wings start working, add full power, keep the wings level, and climb away without losing more height than necessary.
Context Anchor
Encountered in power-on stall training and in discussions of stalls that can happen shortly after liftoff or during the initial climb.
Derivation
Takeoff means the part of flight when the airplane leaves the ground. Stall, in aviation, means the wing is no longer producing enough smooth lift because it is meeting the air at too high an angle. Recovery means returning to a normal, controlled condition. Together, the phrase means getting the airplane flying normally again after a stall in a takeoff-like climb.
Why Pilots Care
Low altitude leaves little room for error; failure to recover promptly can result in ground contact.
Grounding Statement
Picture the airplane just after liftoff with the nose raised too high; the first job is to lower the nose enough for the wings to fly again, even though the airplane is supposed to be climbing.
Intuition Check
Do not assume recovery means pulling back harder to keep climbing. In a stall, even during takeoff, the first need is to reduce the nose-up angle enough for the wings to start flying again.
Example Sentence 1
During training, the instructor demonstrated a takeoff stall recovery by lowering the nose, holding full power, and leveling the wings before resuming the climb.
Example Sentence 2
Effective takeoff stall recovery allowed the airplane to resume a normal climb without settling back toward the runway.