In an effort to address the cause for a high percentage of fatal aircraft accidents, loss of control in flight, the FAA is requesting comments regarding two advisory circulars: AC 120-109A, and AC 120-UPRT. While the ACs are primarily addressed to air carriers flying under Part 121 regulations, pilots flying any type of airplane can benefit from the information published in these ACs, and may be able to provide valuable comments regarding the update of these important documents.
AC 120-109A addresses the inability of some pilots to recognize the indications of an impending stall or a stalled condition. The AC gives guidance for training and testing of pilots to ensure that they know how to recognize, prevent and recover from stalls. The importance of angle of attack is brought to the forefront and the use of simulators in teaching stall prevention and recovery is discussed. Recommendations for the evaluation of stall recovery move away from a predetermined minimum loss of altitude.
AC 120-UPRT makes recommendations for the use of simulators in teaching pilots to recognize, prevent and recover from upset attitudes and how to evaluate whether a particular flight simulation training device is appropriate. The AC also includes recommendations for instructor qualifications and teaching methods, including several scenarios to use during upset recovery training.
The comment period for both ACs ends on May 14, 2014.
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