I continue to be surprised about pilots having accidents while doing maneuvers close to the ground. This list includes airmen from a wide variety of backgrounds, including airshow performers, flight instructors, military pilots and general aviation pilots. It seems to me that some of us have forgotten or misplaced the early-learned information concerning the relationship between Gs and wing stall speed. Even though there are many factors contributing to stalling a wing, in this article I will use “wing stall” as an indication of the reduction of lift and corresponding increase in drag when the critical angle of attack of the wing is exceeded. As that 288
Fly The Wing
I continue to be surprised about pilots having accidents while doing maneuvers close to the ground. This list includes airmen from a wide variety of backgrounds, including airshow performers, flight instructors, military pilots and general aviation pilots. It seems to me that some of us have forgotten or misplaced the early-learned information concerning the relationship between Gs and wing stall speed.
Key Takeaways:
- Many pilot accidents near the ground result from misunderstanding that stall speed is not fixed but increases significantly with G-loading, making an aircraft prone to stalling at much higher airspeeds in maneuvers.
- This accelerated stall phenomenon is a factor in various dangerous scenarios, including steep turns (e.g., correcting an overshoot on final), aggressive low-altitude maneuvers, and late flares during steep approaches, often leading to unrecoverable loss of control.
- Understanding the relationship between Gs and stall speed is crucial not only for avoiding accidents but also for safe recovery from unusual attitudes by "unloading" the wing (reducing G-loading) before attempting other control inputs.
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