Posted for "Halle, John" <JJHALLE@stoel.com>:

   Comments from a former nasal radiator:  we used AOA for approaches flown so
as to be able to land on aircraft carriers.  Approach speed was two-three
knots above 1G stall speed and was the speed at which ANY elevator input
increased sink rate.  Maintining that angle of attack was like trying to
balance a billiard ball on top of another billiard ball.  In my Legacy, I
believe the equivalent airspeed is around 60-62 kts., give or take one or two
for weight.  If you don't intend to fly approaches at that speed (and your
landing gear hopes you don't) you don't need angle of attack on approach.
 
 More important, to avoid inadvertent stall/spin situations, you need to have
a "feel" for an incipient stall.  Relying on an instrument to tell you what
you should be finding out from your fingertips is a poor substitute because it
takes longer and only works when you happen to be looking at the AOA.  Every
Navy a/c I flew (except, I think, the T-34) was equipped with an AOA.  We used
it for approach but we did not use it for ACM or other maneuvers requiring
flight close to stall.  You simply had too many other things to look at (most
of all your adversary) to spend time staring at the AOA.
 
Finally, instinct is king.  One tenth of a second before you stall, you are in
unstalled flight.  To get back to that condition, all you have to do is unload
a little G.  This is true at any positive G level (also at negative G levels
but you have to remember how to unload; an a/c at zero G cannot stall) and can
be done instantly.  Unless you have simply slammed in back stick, it doesn't
take much unload.  Unfortunately, and particularly close to the ground, the
natural instinct is to "pull up" to avoid ground contact.  Nothing could be
worse.  If you really worry about stalls, buy an ACM course from the Marchetti
folks and bend the a/c around a bit.  It's a great demonstration of how you
can fly in and out of stalls with minor changes in stick pressure.