Angle-of-Attack: Three Important Words
If I were to tell you that you could add a product to your airplane to increase situational awareness, with a minimally invasive installation process, and nominal FAA certification requirements, is that something you might be interested in? Angle-of-attack has been a buzzword circulating the aviation industry for the past few years, with the fear of stall-related accidents on many people’s minds. Well we took this to heart and developed the GI 260 AOA indicator, a system that can keep pilots keen to their aircraft’s current angle-of-attack, while also providing visual and audio alerts in critical phases of flight.
The angle-of-attack, or angle between your aircraft’s wing and the oncoming airflow, is a critical element of maintaining flight. Often times pilots consider dreaded stalls to be based solely on the airspeed of an aircraft, when the angle of the wing is equally, if not more important. When the angle-of-attack becomes too great, lift (and flight) can no longer be sustained.
Our angle-of-attack system includes only three components: the GI 260 cockpit indicator which provides pilots with audio and visual alerts, a GAP 26 probe for sensing pitot and AOA pressure, and the GAP 25 air data computer which translates the information to the display, and ultimately to the pilot. The visual display can be mounted on top of the instrument panel, and shows green, yellow and red indicators based on the current angle-of-attack. Homebuilders flying with our G3X and G3X Touch flight displays can also take advantage of the GI 260 AOA indicator’s information, with easy compatibility.
Most importantly, the FAA is on board with the concept of keeping pilots alert to their aircraft’s angle-of-attack. They have simplified the process for installation approval, eliminating some of the red tape, and costs aircraft owners previously faced when looking to modify an airplane. They are spreading the good word, well in this case three words – angle-of-attack. To learn more about our GI 260 AOA indicator visit our website, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest product announcements, news and stories.
