Fast, On-Speed, Slow: A Common Language for Aircraft Control

[David Paule]

I flew with a single-position AOA system for over 50 years - Cessnas have an audible stall warning sensor. You can buy and install a similar device from Van's. It worked, was reliable and helpful. It said quite clearly, "Okay, far enough now, be wary." And then I flew OnSpeed's tone-based AOA system once, in an RV-10. The owner gave emergency a short description and with the volume adjusted properly for me, I found it easy house and gave me rather more information than the Cessna single-point system. I prefer the OnSpeed system, which was actually useful.

For people complaining about always needing to listen to the tune, no, just turn the volume down in cruise. Add adjusting the volume to the pre-take-off and pre-landing checklists.

It does require an AOA pickup, though, which might not be easy for your specific airplane. It would now be very difficult to retrofit to my RV-3B project for several reasons (that plane has the stall warning vane) and the SLSA I have on deposit would need to be put into ELSA status and then some careful designing done for it. But worth it.

On the basis of a single flight, I encourage any builder to install that AOA pressure pickup during construction.

Dave

 

[YellowJacket RV9]

I think this is a disingenuous response.
They have a chart with five studies that show different things.
The conclusion clearly states the following: "In general, the findings were not conclusive."
This is what I regard as data rather than information.

There is not a single randomized control trial that shows parachutes save lives either. The vast majority of pilots involved in a loss of control stall-spin are not around to provide conclusive evidence as to weather AOA may have changed the outcome. It seems very reasonable to assume that it may have in some cases. I use it and practice with it not because I fly near any limits, but because by being comfortable with it, I hope that should I ever find myself in a dangerous situation I will have the muscle memory to react appropriately before things get worse.

Ive been around to know that “just not making a mistake” is not the best plan. I plan for when I make a mistake, not if.

As to being overly complicated, “fast, on-speed, and slow” seems much simpler than calculating the appropriate air speed based on my weight, bank angle, and g-loading.

 

[dmattmul]

I've been flying with the Tones on for about a year now. I still don't like them and find them distracting. When its constantly making a tone - its easy to tune out. Like the boy crying wolf analogy. I like the tones for getting near the edge of a bad place to be like too slow (stall) or too fast (Vne). But I don't like the constant tone for "on speed". I absolutely tune it out.

"Having said that - I absolute HATE HATE HATE the colored bars and green donuts on most or all GA AOA gauges. I find it busy and totally unusable."

Maybe I'm missing something, but you don't like the tones, and you HATE HATE HATE the colored bars for AOA.

So how do you want to be informed you are about to stall the airframe?

For me audible works !!!!!!!! (If it's constantly making a tone suggest you review AOA calibration procedures, you don't have to have a tone for "on speed", I don't)