The Missing Instrument

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 11:11 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Despite rapid technological advancements in modern general aviation cockpits (e.g., synthetic vision, GPS, digital displays), a crucial safety instrument, the Angle-of-Attack (AOA) indicator, remains largely absent from light aircraft.
AOA is a fundamental aerodynamic concept vital for flight safety, as a wing stalls due to an excessive angle of attack—a constant value regardless of weight or load—unlike published stall speeds which are conditional.
While AOA indicators could significantly improve pilot training and operational safety, their widespread adoption in light GA aircraft has been limited by factors such as cost and technical challenges in sensor placement.

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When you think about the array of flight technologies available in today’s light general aviation airplanes, it’s sometimes hard to believe we’ve come so far so fast.

From infrared enhanced-vision systems and computer-generated synthetic-vision technology to satellite downlinked weather graphics and GPS precision-approach capability, all presented on bright, colorful flat-panel cockpit displays, the instrument panel of a Cessna Skyhawk built today looks amazingly different than it did in 172s flying 10, 20, 30, 40 or (can it really be possible?) 50 years ago.