Which flight regime is best for maintaining stable approach speeds to avoid stalls, and how does angle of attack influence stall risk?

• A. A stabilized approach at a safe airspeed with AoA below the critical angle; stall risk increases as AoA approaches the critical angle.
• B. Full-throttle climb with AoA increasing steadily; stall risk reduces as AoA increases.
• C. Unstable approach with high sink rate; stall risk independent of AoA.
• D. Any approach with AoA above critical; stall risk is constant.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to fly a stabilized approach at a safe airspeed that keeps the angle of attack well below the wing’s critical angle. When the airplane is configured properly—proper descent rate, appropriate flaps, and a steady glide path—the wings stay in a lift-producing regime with an AoA that leaves a comfortable margin before stall. Stalls happen when the angle of attack reaches or exceeds the critical value, causing the flow to separate and lift to collapse. So, as AoA climbs toward that critical point, stall risk increases rapidly, which is why a stabilized, safe-speed approach is the best way to avoid getting too close to stall.

Other regimes described aren’t suitable for a safe approach. A climb with AoA increasing steadily isn’t an approach regime and would usually imply losing stability and control authority. An unstable approach with a high sink rate is inherently unsafe and makes managing airspeed and AoA difficult. And flying with AoA above the critical angle guarantees an imminent stall, with no meaningful stall margin.