What happens at the stall angle with respect to lift?

At the stall angle, the airflow over the wings of an aircraft becomes disrupted, leading to a significant decrease in lift. This occurs because the angle of attack—the angle between the wing's chord line and the oncoming airflow—has reached a critical point where the wing can no longer generate sufficient lift effectively.

When the stall angle is exceeded, airflow begins to separate from the wing surface, transitioning from a smooth flow to turbulent flow. This disruption drastically reduces the wing's ability to generate lift, resulting in a sharp drop in the aerodynamic forces that keep the aircraft aloft. As a result, the aircraft may experience a stall, which is characterized by the inability to maintain altitude or climb effectively.

Understanding this is crucial for pilots as recognizing the stall angle ensures proper handling and prevents loss of control of the aircraft during flight maneuvers.