A Basic Pilot Skill

[Bill Greenwood]

John, angle of attack would be a good thing to know, but I think I have acually seen such an indicator in only one gen aviation airplane, not on any T-6s. Don't know about the new so called T-6s, they probalby have lots of gadgets and may have one. So almost all pilots have to rely on the traditional if secondary method of being aware of where the nose is pointed, which gives an appoximation of angle of attack, as well as the info from the airspeed indicator, and what power and g's you are using for what stage of flight or what manuever. In other words, an awareness of how much lift you have in reserve and if you are getting close to using it all up.

You may have heard the strory that about 1950 Wilbur Wright was invited up to the cockpit in flight of a big piston airliner, and told them they ought to have an indicator and be flying by angle of atttack.