[Avionics Today March 13, 2014] Garmin has announced a new Angle of Attack (AOA) system designed for General Aviation (GA) aircraft, the GI 260 AOA indicator.
The FAA recently changed its regulation of AOA technology in GA aircraft to make the installation process less costly and cumbersome for operators. According to Garmin, this new system features the GI 260 AOA indicator, GAP 26 angle of attack probe and GSU 25 air data computer.
AOA refers to the angle between an aircraft’s wing and the oncoming air, and if the “angle of attack” becomes too great, the wing can stall and lose lift. In recent years, the GA industry has been looking to reform the regulation of AOA indicators, because loss of control (mainly stalls) accounts for nearly 40 percent all fatal GA accidents, according to the FAA.
Now, the FAA has removed that regulatory barrier, with its newly announced policy requiring manufacturers to build the AOA indicator system according to standards from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ATSM) and apply for FAA approval for the design certifying that the equipment meets ATSM standards.
“We’re pleased to quickly introduce a product that supports the FAA’s recent initiative to broaden adoption of angle of attack displays to improve safety,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “Now this level of safety enhancing technology typically found on military and commercial aircraft, is available to general aviation at a price within reach.”