Orville Wright patented the first commercial AOA system in 1913. The military has been using Angle of Attack (AOA) successfully for over a half century to teach pilots how to “fly the wing” and manage energy. The FAA recently encouraged the installation of AOA systems in GA aircraft as a means to reduce loss of control mishaps, the primary cause of fatal mishaps in our community, that has remained stubbornly consistent since the NTSB data base was established in 1962-63.
As AOA systems become commonplace in General Aviation, flight instructors can benefit from lessons learned in other flying communities. Depending on design, a properly calibrated AOA system is the only instrument in the cockpit that provides “how hard the wing is working right now” information to the pilot, including key performance parameters. And all AOA systems when properly calibrated provide much better progressive stall warning than that required by FAR 23.
While airspeed is a key energy parameter, the speed at which an airplane stall varies constantly with weight and g-load, whereas critical AOA does not. A key concept is a parameter the military calls “on speed,” or the AOA used for approach and landing and maneuvering flight—a term that rightly blends the concept of airspeed and AOA, since AOA and power control airspeed.
This brief focuses on how pilots apply AOA, not engineering concepts; and how AOA can be the best, most intuitive “energy” instrument in the cockpit. In addition to discussing AOA instrumentation, this brief will also discuss a simple, intuitive aural cue developed by the Air Force to allow the pilot to listen to how hard the wing is working, freeing up eyes for other duty.
Mike Vaccaro is part of the FlyONSPEED team, a non-profit flight research and engineering design group dedicated to reducing loss of control risk in EAB and GA. The team was selected as the first-place winner of the EAA’s Founder’s Innovation Award Prize in 2018, and Grand Champion in 2021 for their work. The team designs hardware, conducts flight tests, and produces education resources for the Experimental Amateur Built community.
Mike is a retired USAF Lt. Colonel, F-4/F-15 pilot, Fighter Weapons School instructor, test pilot, commander and veteran of three combat deployments. He started flight instructing in GA in 1983 and is a current CFII/ME and airline pilot. He flies a specially instrumented experimental RV-4 for testing angle of attack, energy management systems and the TLAR decision app from his home airport, Ruckel Field (FL17) 5 miles east of Eglin AFB in the Florida Panhandle, where he lives with his wife Theresa.
Karen is the NAFI Board Chair, a Designated Pilot Examiner, three-time NAFI Master Instructor, CFI, CFII, MEI, CFI-G, AGI, IGI, FAA Gold Seal Instructor and FAASTeam Lead Representative. She teaches in a range of aircraft and enjoys flying her own RV6.
Karen is a Major in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), serves as a member of the WINGS Industry Network, contributes to the FAA Surface Safety Group, is an FAA Safety Team Lead Representative, and is active in several other aviation organizations. Karen is the 2019 National FAASTeam Representative of the year.
She became active in aviation after success as a senior VP in the banking sector, as a graduate school professor, and as President of her own international consulting business.
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| Date | Wed, Apr 16 2025 8:00 pm GMT-4 (America/New_York) |
| End Date | Wed, Apr 16 2025 9:00 pm GMT-4 (America/New_York) |
| Event Time Zone | EDT |