A Level 1 AOA clarification

I agree that AOA is a nice instrument to have, but I am not convinced if
that is going to reduce the number of stall spin accidents. Most stall spin
accidents despite all stall indications, such as low airspeed, buffet and
descent rate. Having another instrument on the panel is not going to change
the situation.



"Hilton" wrote in news:5_Azd.10136$9j5.3520
@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
True, some of the larger aircraft and military jets have an AOA
indicator. Most small aircraft do not have an AOA indicator. There is a
good reason for this. In a large aircraft, the weight can vary
substantially over its flight envelope. This will result in a large
variation in stall speed. In a small aircraft, the stall speed variation
is rather small, and a single stall speed can be used safely.

IMHO, there is no good reason for not having an AOA indicator on GA
aircraft. Stall/spin is a leading cause of death among GA pilots and
passengers. Best glide (potential emergency situation) is determined by
AOA. Put an AOA sensor on GA planes with a hand that smacks the pilot on
the head when the AOA approaches the critical AOA and a lot fewer people
will die while having fun on the weekends.

Hilton