Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B) Addendum:
Angle of Attack Indicators
April 2015
The FAA along with the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) is promoting
Angle of Attack (AOA) indicators as one of the many safety initiatives aimed at reducing the
General Aviation accident rate. AOA indicators will specifically target Loss of Control (LOC)
accidents. Loss of control is the number one root cause of fatalities in both General Aviation
(GA) and Commercial Aviation. More than 25% of General Aviation fatal accidents occur
during the maneuvering phase of flight. Of those accidents-half involve stall/spin scenarios.
Technology such as AOA indicators can have a tremendous impact on reversing this trend and
are increasingly affordable for GA airplanes.
The purpose of an AOA indicator is to give the pilot better situational awareness pertaining to
the aerodynamic health of the airfoil. This can also be referred as stall margin awareness. More
simply explained, it is the margin that exists between the current AOA that the airfoil will stall
(critical AOA).
Figure 1. Critical angle of attack, stall, and angle of attack indications.
Instrument Flying Handbook Addendum: Angle of Attack Indicators 2
April 2015
Angle of attack is taught to student pilots as theory in ground training. When beginning flight
training, students will typically rely solely on airspeed and the published 1G stall speed to avoid
stalls. This creates problems since this speed is only valid when the following conditions are met:
• Unaccelerated flight (a 1G load factor)
• Coordinated flight (inclinometer)
• At one weight (typically maximum gross weight)
Speed by itself is not a reliable parameter to avoid a stall. An airplane can stall at any speed.
Angle of attack is a better parameter to use to avoid a stall. For a given configuration, the
airplane always stalls at the same angle of attack, referenced to as the critical angle AOA. This
critical AOA does not change with:
• Weight
• Bank angle
• Temperature
• Density altitude
• Center of gravity
An AOA indicator can have several benefits when installed in GA aircraft, not the least of
which is increased situational awareness. Without an AOA indicator, the AOA is “invisible” to
pilots. These devices measure several parameters simultaneously and determine the current
angle of attack providing a visual image to the pilot of the current AOA along with
representation of the proximity to the critical AOA. These devices can give a visual
representation of the energy management state of the airplane. The energy state of an airplane is
the balance between airspeed, altitude, drag, and thrust and represents how efficiently the airfoil
is operating. With this increased situational awareness pertaining to the energy condition of the
airplane, the pilot will have information that they need to aid in preventing an LOC scenario
resulting from a stall/spin. Additionally, the less energy that is utilized to maintain flight means
greater overall efficiency of the airplane which is typically realized in fuel savings. This equates
to a lower operating cost to the pilot.
Figure 2. Lift/drag curve.
Instrument Flying Handbook Addendum: Angle of Attack Indicators 3
April 2015
Just as training is required for any system in an aircraft, AOA indicators have training
considerations also. A more comprehensive understanding of AOA in general should be the goal
of this training along with the specific operating characteristics and limitation of the installed
AOA indicator. Ground and flight instructors should make every attempt to receive training
from an instructor knowledgeable about AOA indicators prior to giving instruction pertaining to
or in airplanes equipped with an AOA indicator. Pilot schools should incorporate training on
AOA indicators in their syllabi whether their training aircraft are equipped with them or not.
Installation of AOA indicators not required by type certification in GA airplanes has recently
been streamlined by the FAA. The FAA established policy in February 2014 pertaining to non-
required AOA systems and how they may be installed as a minor alteration, depending upon
their installation requirements and operational utilization, and the procedures to take for
certification of these installations. For updated information on this, please reference the FAA
webpage at http://www.faa.gov.
While AOA indicators provide a simple visual representation of the current AOA and its
proximity to the critical AOA, they are not without their limitations. These limitations should be
understood by operators of GA airplanes equipped with these devices. Like advanced
automation such as autopilots and moving maps, the misunderstanding or misuse of the
equipment can have disastrous results. Some items which may limit the effectiveness of an
AOA indicator are listed below:
• Calibration techniques
• Probes or vanes not being heated
• The type of indicator itself
• Flap setting
• Wing Contamination
Pilots of GA airplanes equipped with AOA indicators should contact the manufacturer for
specific limitations applicable to that installation.