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By Kyle Coffey from Kennesaw State University

When landing a fixed wing aircraft, a pilot may choose to stall the wing when the landing gear is just inches above the ground to achieve a smooth landing. One can use Bernoulli’s Principle to explain the lift generated by the wing of an airplane. When air flows over a wing, the velocity of the air traveling over the top is higher than the velocity of the air traveling over the bottom. As a result, the pressure on the bottom surface of the wing is higher than the top, causing the plane to fly (or wing to generate a lift force). In the landing “flare,” or the pitching up of an airplane the moment before touchdown, a pilot may choose to exceed the wing’s maximum angle of attack. This is referred to as “stalling” the wing. Airflow over the top of the wing is disrupted thereby spoiling the lift force generated by the wing. If this is done when an airplane’s landing gear is just inches above the ground, this will result in a smooth landing as the weight of the aircraft is almost seamlessly transferred from the wing to the wheels