Avionics News April 2016 - 36

BUILDING A BUNDLE
Continued from page 35

tributed to loss of control accidents, which is why preventing
them made the NTSB's most wanted list of transportation
safety improvements for the second year in a row.
Driven by the shared desire to reduce the number of loss
of control accidents and increase overall GA safety, in 2014,
the FAA simplified the design approval requirements for
angle of attack indicators for Part 23 aircraft. Since then,
Alpha Systems AOA, Aspen Avionics, BendixKing, Garmin,
InAir Instruments and Safe Flight Instrument Corp., to name
a few, have introduced FAA-approved systems. Amateurbuilt experimental aircraft have two more, from Advanced
Flight Systems and Dynon Avionics.
To promote the use of AOA systems, the FAA published
Information for Operators 14010 on July 25, 2014. In
discussing the voluntary installation, training and use of nonrequired supplemental angle of attack systems, it said that
the FAA Safety Assessment Team reviewed 2,472 fatal GA
accidents from 2001 to 2010. Of that number, loss of control
was the most prevalent cause, responsible for 1,259 fatalities.
The team concluded that the GA use of AOA systems "is an
effective method for reducing LOC accidents in the approach
and landing phase of flight."
The AOA indicator provides an instant crosscheck to
standard required information derived from the attitude,
airspeed and vertical airspeed indicators. Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University installed AOA systems in its fleet
of 61 Cessna training aircraft at its Daytona Beach, Florida,
and Prescott, Arizona, campuses. "This device is a direct
measurement of energy; it lets pilots know at a glance how
much lift is available regardless of an airplane's speed and
attitude," said Dr. Jackie Luedtke, director of the Robertson Safety Institute at the Prescott Campus and associate
professor of safety science.
Standard equipment on military and commercial aircraft,
these systems (and some GA units) measure AOA with a
vane. Most GA systems measure air pressure at two different points on a wing-mounted probe, and an electronic
module or air data computer instantly delivers this information to the pilot as a visual indication of angle between
the wing chord and the relative wind. Most AOA systems
include audible warnings.
In addition, AOA systems also can help pilots more accurately achieve critical phases of flight, such as final approach
to landing, the best angle or best rate of climb, and when in
turbulence, maneuvering speed, which allows full control inputs without risking structural airframe damage. Regardless
36

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april

2016

of aircraft weight, attitude, ambient temperature or density
altitude, the angles of attack that deliver these velocities are
always the same, just as it is for the critical angle of attack.
If you doubt this and want an in-depth technical explanation, just ask a carrier-qualified naval aviator. From the start
of a mission, when the F-18 is carrying tons of fuel and
weapons to its near-empty return to the boat, AOA is the
go-to safety indicator. Regardless of the Hornet's configuration, while lift-giving airspeed depends on weight and other
factors, the critical angle of attack is the same. It works the
same way in your customers' airplanes.
Stalls are the leading cause of loss of control. Between
2001 and 2011, more than 40 percent of fixed-wing GA accidents happened because pilots lost control of their airplanes,
usually as they were maneuvering close to ground on their
approach to landing or climbing out after takeoff. Better
initial and recurrent education of pilots on the relationship
between AOA, stalls and loss of control leads the NTSB's
suggested remediations.
It also suggests that: "Airplane owners should consider
installing an AOA indicator, which, coupled with pilot understanding and training on how to best use it, can enhance situational awareness during critical or high-workload phases of
flight. The FAA, aviation advocacy groups, type clubs, and
manufacturers, including kit manufacturers, should create
and maintain educational initiatives that include general principals, best practices, and operational specifics as they relate
to loss of control." Why not add avionics shops to that list.
AOA indicators employ a variety of displays, from chevrons to dials to a line of LEDs. Most of them use the same
colors: green, yellow, red and sometimes blue. Usually, green
indicates a low angle of attack typical of cruising flight. A
combination of green and yellow indicates a higher angle of
attack and operations allowing full control inputs (VA, maneuvering speed). Yellow indicates caution, and red means
the angle of attack is too high and the pilot should reduce it
before the airplane stalls.
Blue indicates the optimum angle of attack for landing,
1.3 VSO. Like a naval aviator approaching a carrier, pilots
maintain a steady blue donut pitch and adjust the rate of
descent with power to arrive at the designed touchdown spot.
On units with a blue donut, just its lower half illuminates at
the angle of attack needed for the best angle of climb, VX.
As far as safety goes, indicators mounted on the glare
shield are preferred because they keep this critical information in the pilots' field of view as they maneuver toward
landing or after takeoff. It's something that may well keep an
avionics shop's customers airborne and returning for future
bundles that expand their safety and aircraft capabilities. q



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2016

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Avionics News April 2016 - Intro
Avionics News April 2016 - Cover1
Avionics News April 2016 - Cover2
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