The FAA has posted its latest in a series of videos from the FAA Safety Team for general aviation pilots: Angle of Attack Awareness in 57 Seconds.
“A lack of awareness, with respect to angle of attack (AOA), has resulted in the loss of aircraft control and contributed to fatal GA accidents,” FAA officials note in the video’s introduction. “Increasing a pilot’s awareness of the aerodynamic effects of AOA and available technology will help general aviation pilots avoid an inadvertent loss of control.”
I knew of a guy who flunked his checkride because he followed the AOA pointer instead of the glideslope.
Assuming he was operating in a condition that required adherence to a glide path, he should have failed.
Perhaps the FAA should mandate and subsidize AOA Indicators. AOA is a direct measurement. I’d much rather have an AOA in my airplane than an ELT.
If the FAA mandates an AOA, it becomes a primary, required instrument.
It would need periodic calibration and the aircraft would be not airworthy if it is non-op.
I’d rather fly at appropriate airspeeds, pitch and bank angles that keep the wing flying..!
I’ve done accelerated stalls at altitude and it takes a LOT of elevator pull to get my Cessna to stall.