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Book 23, Question 8 · Video

What Is a Stall, and How Do Pilots Handle It?

Video · 1:46 · Crafty Clover explains, from A Million Whys Book 23

A stall sounds scary. But it has nothing to do with the engine stopping. Pilots know exactly what to do! Birds also stall when they land, and they use it to slow down.

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What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. What is a stall, and how do pilots handle it?

The Big Idea

A stall sounds scary. But it has nothing to do with the engine stopping. Pilots know exactly what to do!

What a Stall Is

Step one: what a stall is. A stall happens when a wing is tilted too steeply, so the air stops flowing smoothly over the top. Then lift suddenly drops.

The Fix

Step two: the fix. Pilots handle a stall by pointing the nose down a little to get smooth airflow and speed back. Then they level out.

Practice and Alarms

Step three: practice and alarms. Pilots practice this with an instructor. Planes also have warning alarms in the cockpit.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! The wing tilts too far. The air gets messy. The pilot lowers the nose. The air flows smoothly again.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Birds also stall when they land, and they use it to slow down. Planes have stall warning alarms in the cockpit. Pilots train for stalls with an instructor. A stall has nothing to do with the engine stopping.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Throw a paper plane with its nose pointing sharply up. Watch how it loses its glide. See how it tips forward. Then throw it with a gentle nose and compare. Then explain what you learned to a friend.

Outro

A stall is when a wing is tilted too steeply and lift drops, and pilots fix it by lowering the nose. Science is amazing! Keep wondering and keep exploring! Share what you learned with someone at home, and see what they think! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!

Why I wrote this