text: It is frequently stated that the career Naval 
  Aviator spends more than half his life “below 
  a thousand feet and a hundred knots.” 
  Re- 
  gardless of the implications of such a state- 
  ment, the thought does cunnute the relation- 
  flying speeds and carrier 
  ship of minimum 
  aviation. Only 
  is there 
  such importance assigned to precision control 
  of the aircraft at high lift conditions. Safe 
  operation in carrier aviation demands precision 
  control of the airplane at high lift conditions. 
  The aerodynamic lift characteristics of an 
  airplane are portrayed by the curve of lift 
  coefficient versus angle of attack. Such a 
  curve is illustrated in figure 1.15 for a specific 
  airplane in the clean and flap down configura- 
  tions. A given aerodynamic configuration ex- 
  periences increases in lift coefficient with 
  in- 
  creases in angle of attack until the maximum 
  lift coefficient is obtained. A further increase 
  in angIe of attack produces stall and the lift 
  coefficient then decreases. Since the maximum 
  the minimum 
  lift coefficient corresponds to 
  speed available in flight, 
  is an important 
  point of reference. The stall speed of the air- 
  craft in level flight is related by the equation: 