What is the relationship between wing loading and stall speed, and how does it affect approach and landing?

• A. Higher wing loading lowers stall speed, allowing slower approach.
• B. Higher wing loading raises stall speed, limiting approach speed and increasing landing speed.
• C. Wing loading has no effect on stall speed.
• D. Wing loading only affects cruise speed, not approach.

Answer: (B)

Wing loading is weight per unit wing area, and stall speed is the minimum speed at which the wing can generate enough lift to support the airplane. At the stall, the wing can no longer provide the lift needed to balance the weight, so the airspeed must be high enough to produce that lift. With a given air density and a maximum lift coefficient, the required speed grows with weight per unit area, meaning V_stall is proportional to the square root of wing loading. So, when wing loading is higher, the stall speed is higher.

How that affects approach and landing is straightforward: you must fly at speeds well above stall to maintain safe margins, so higher wing loading forces a higher approach speed. That also means the landing speed will be higher, which typically translates to a longer landing distance and less ability to slow quickly in tight fields. Flaps or other configuration changes that increase lift can lower stall speed and allow slower, safer approaches, but the fundamental relationship remains: higher wing loading raises stall speed and raises the speeds needed for approach and landing.