The airspeed indicator may be the oldest and most fundamental of the flight instruments, but it is also the one least suited to its job, which is primarily not to tell us how fast we are going but rather where we are in the flight envelope. It is pleasant to know, as we cruise along, that we are indicating 137 knots; but the airspeed indicator is most important at low speeds, close to the stall, and it is there that it is most likely to play us false.
Kill All the Airspeed Indicators
Key Takeaways:
- The airspeed indicator (ASI) is fundamentally flawed as a primary instrument for understanding an aircraft's flight envelope, especially near stall, because critical speeds vary unreliably with aircraft weight and G-loading.
- Angle of attack (AOA), or a proposed "lift gauge" displaying the percentage of available wing lift, offers a far more consistent and reliable measure of an aircraft's position within its flight envelope, directly indicating proximity to stall regardless of varying conditions.
- The article advocates for making this lift gauge a central, primary flight instrument, arguing it would standardize indications across all aircraft types, automatically adapt to varying weights and G-loadings, and significantly enhance safety compared to the traditional ASI.
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