FAR 23.2110 — Stall Speed Determination
FAR 23.2110 requires applicants to determine stall speed or minimum steady flight speed for each flight configuration. Learn what it covers for pilot exams.
FAR 23.2110 is a certification rule that tells aircraft manufacturers (the applicant) how to establish the airplane's stall speed or minimum steady flight speed before a Part 23 airplane is certified. While it isn't an operational rule pilots follow in flight, it's the basis for the V-speeds (like VS and VS0) you'll find in your POH and use every day.
The applicant must determine stall speed for each flight configuration used in normal operations, including:
- Takeoff
- Climb
- Cruise
- Descent
- Approach
- Landing
The determination must account for the most adverse conditions in each configuration, with power set at:
- (a) Idle or zero thrust for propulsion systems used primarily for thrust (e.g., a typical propeller engine), and
- (b) Nominal thrust for propulsion systems that also provide flight control or high-lift functions (e.g., powered-lift designs).
Why it matters: every stall speed marked on your airspeed indicator and published in performance charts traces back to this rule, which is why those numbers can be trusted across configurations.