Ultimate Issue: AOA Gets Revisited—Again

Designing an accurate angle-of-attack system represents only half the challenge.

Monday, July 08, 2024 at 09:13 AM ET

Verified

There is also the problem, perhaps even more difficult than designing an angle-of-attack system, of how best to present the information to the pilot. [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

The article advocates for replacing "angle-of-attack" (AOA) terminology with "lift fraction indicators," arguing it provides a more universal and intuitive understanding of critical flight parameters across all aircraft.
Despite historical challenges, recent innovations have made accurate and low-cost AOA systems (under $100) technically feasible through simple probes and microcomputer processing.
A key challenge is presenting lift information effectively to pilots, which the FlyONSPEED.org prototype addresses with a combined visual and innovative aural feedback system that continuously communicates critical flight state.

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For as long as I can remember—I started doing this in 1968—writers for FLYING and other aviation publications have been singing the praises of angle-of-attack (AOA) indicators.

They were rare in general aviation airplanes until 2014 when the FAA simplified the requirements for installing them. A proliferation of aftermarket AOA systems followed, ranging in price from around $300 to more than $3,000. I don’t know how widely these devices have been adopted, nor do I know whether any study has been made of their impact on the GA accident rate.

Peter Garrison

Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.