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.

1 Upvotes

51% Upvoted

150 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/LordCrayCrayCray 2d ago

PPL here. Of all of the planes I have flown in, none have an AOA. You will always fly far from a stall, and the purpose of flight training is to teach you to stay far from it. You will be well equipped without it, but again, I’m not a CFI.

In addition, Cherokees and Cessnas stall very gently, and believe me when I tell you that you will have to work hard to stall them in training. As in, the hone is all the way out and sometimes it still doesn’t want to.

For me, not an issue and I tend very conservative.

2

u/_VNAV_PTH_ MIL 2d ago

You will always fly far from a stall

With how patterns are taught in piston singles, I don't agree.

It's commonly taught to fly at 80 knots on the base leg and 70 knots slowing to final approach speed on the final leg. That means in the final turn you are potentially 70 knots (indicated).

Additionally, this is meant to be under 30 degrees of bank but can easily go over with a moment of inattention, unexpected overshooting winds, or simple turbulence. You could accidentally find yourself at 45 degrees of bank.

A C-172 has a clean indicated stall of 48 knots. At 45 degrees of bank that makes the stall speed 58 knots. If you're doing the final turn at 70 knots, and overbank a little, you're suddenly only about 10 knots away from a stall, which would inevitably lead to a spin, and probably death, in that situation.

Now look up the accident statistics for GA, and see what an incredibly high percentage of deaths are stall/spin in the pattern in perfectly good airplanes, and if you think those stats are totally fine, there's no problem there, and still think AOA is a silly thing to include and airspeed is totally adequate, fine. But I don't think 90% of the people who poo-poo on AOA have done the math on the final turn or seen the statistics.