Why is it important to monitor the angle of attack during flight?

Monitoring the angle of attack is crucial because it directly influences the lift generated by an aircraft's wings. The angle of attack is the angle between the wing's chord line and the oncoming airflow. At appropriate angles, the airflow over the wings creates sufficient lift to keep the aircraft in flight.

If the angle of attack becomes too high, it can lead to a stall, where the airflow separates from the wing, drastically reducing lift and potentially causing loss of control. Therefore, by regularly monitoring and managing the angle of attack, pilots can ensure they maintain optimal lift, avoid stalling, and uphold safe flight conditions.

Other factors such as fuel efficiency, drag, and turbulence stabilization are indeed important in flight management, but these aspects are secondary to the primary function of angle of attack in ensuring sufficient lift and safe flight dynamics.