PILOT'S GUIDE Safety product prospects New angle-of-attack options help reduce loss-of-control accidents S T O R Y B Y D A V E H I G D O N O Garmin's GSU 25 air data computer, GAP 26 angleof-attack probe and GI 260 AoA indicator ccasionally, the lines cross between a community issue and the availability of a tool to mitigate that issue. Early 2014 gave us a prime example with arguably the first outgrowth of prior-year efforts to update Part 23 rules. The result: Several new options for more-affordable angle-of-attack (AoA) systems that are made possible through the Federal Aviation Administration's acceptance of ASTM standard, F3011-13. Reducing loss-of-control accidents is a current top target of safety experts; AoA systems are viewed as an underutilized tool in general aviation, one with great potential to reduce loss-of-control accidents. Thanks to the consensus-standards approach, AoA systems available under ASTM standard F3011-13 are already shipping. And they come to market in time to meet an increase in demand expected from a public, relatively recent focus on loss-of-control accidents and how to reduce their frequency. - 46 -