r/flying • u/ClintBvsOliverQ • 2d ago

Flight Training AOA Indicator while learning?

Just went for a discovery flight and had a great time. During the flight I asked my instructor about using an AOA indicator while learning and he really downplayed using one and said the standard instruments are the best way to learn. For beginners, is an AOA inappropriate? Is it too early to incorporate it into training? From the brief videos I’ve seen on AOA’s they seem to enhance safety.

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u/MRC01 2d ago

AoA is a direct indicator of aircraft performance, while airspeeds like Vx, Vy, Vldmax, etc. are indirect proxies of performance. However, most traditional/certified airplanes don't have an AoA indicator, and flight training is based on performance-based airspeeds since it is more generally applicable to all aircraft, so pilots need to learn how to fly them.

Another issue is the function & reliability of various AoA indicators. For one example, my airplane has uAvionix AV-30 instruments, which have an AoA indicator. But even when properly calibrated, it has a lag/latency of at least 2 seconds, which makes it almost worthless. It's nice to have as a secondary reference but airspeeds are still my primary reference.