Plain English Meaning

VS is the slowest speed at which the airplane can still fly under control. Below this speed, the wing stops producing enough lift and the airplane stalls.

Full Definition

VS is the stalling speed, or the minimum steady flight speed at which the airplane remains controllable. It represents the slowest speed at which the wing can still produce enough lift to support the airplane in flight before the airflow separates and the wing stalls. VS is published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook and is the baseline speed from which other V-speeds (such as VS0 and VS1) are derived.

Context Anchor

In a VMC demonstration, pilots watch for stall warning and recover before allowing the airplane to a .