Andrew Sarangan wrote:
> ....
> It is true that a 'good pilot' should be able to feel his speed and stall
> conditions. However, every year we continue to witness numerous stall/spin
> accidents. The ASI does a poor job of preventing them.
>
> My point: The ASI is not a particularly useful instrument anyway. An AOA could
> be slightly more useful. Perhaps the ASI could be indispensable in special
> cases like acrobatics. I can't speak for that since I am not an acro-pilot.
>
> ....
I agree with your overall view on an AOA indicator and intend to
install one mostly because I like gadgets. I believe it's true that
in 1-g flight, the only thing that causes a variance between whatever
magic number you want to see on the ASI, and the presentation on an
AOA indicator, is weight.
In a Europa flown solo, I think you're safe in one ASI number to know
for normal approaches, and another for short fields. And there's math
formulae (and flight testing) to give you a "pad" number for a pax,
and for full baggage (low vs. full fuel will make little difference).
As to stall/spin accidents, I'll bet a statistical analysis of NTSB
reports will show that the leading causal factor is loss of engine
power, and an AOA indicator isn't going to make trees or wires you
need to clear go away. Another common cause is low-level maneuvering,
like buzzing or a botched turn to final in a crosswind. Contributory
to these incidents is often diverted attention from the panel, and in
such case an AOA indicator won't help. Maybe with an aural warning,
yes, but isn't it better to avoid the situation in the first place?
Regards,
Fred F., A063, N3EU
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