Mark and Scott,

 

Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure you will!) but...

 

Didn't the FAA switch from emphasizing stall and spin recovery to stall and spin avoidance? 

 

I remember being taught how to recognize an impending stall and recover BEFORE the break.  I think the reasoning for the change in philosophy is that most stalls and spins occur too close to the ground for recovery.  Getting yourself into a stall, or even worse a spin close to the ground is something to be avoided at all costs.  The statistics point this out.  No matter how sharp your stall and spin recovery skills are, you just don't have the time or the altitude to get the job done.

 

I put the AOA in my plane to replace the wonderful sounding stall warning horn I had in my Mooneys.  Case in point, I took off out of Santa Barbara one afternoon in my Mooney with wind shear warnings on the ATIS.  I kept my airspeed higher on climbout, normally 90, that day 110, beeeeeep, I got a stall warning horn in a 110 knot climb!  The airspeed had dropped to around 50 or 60 (I didn't take the time to look!).  I instinctively pushed the yoke forward and kept on flying.

 

The ES doesn't give a whole lot of warning before the stall, even though it's a gentle break and recovery is not a big event.  I want to catch the stall before I "feel" anything.  I'm not the best stick out there by a longshot.  If I get slow making that turn from base to final, I like the idea of having somebody scream, "Angle, Push!"  Any help I can get from an electronic gadget is greatly appreciated.

 

Mike Easley

Colorado Springs