Willie, This for me underlines the benefit of Mark's Smartass system, as
opposed to a stall warner. The Europa good weather approach speed of 60 kts
is some 20kts over the normal stall speed for my plane, and Mark's system
will consequently give you 20 kts worth of warning if you are slowing,
whereas the stall warner clicks in only 5kts or so ahead of trouble. Losing
5 or 10 kts due to windshear is commonplace in reasonable weather
conditions, and although in ideal circumstances we are monitoring speed like
hawks and will compensate before things have got too much out of line, it
can be an entirely different kettle of fish if the workload is excessive -
perhaps a very busy circuit with someone appearing to cut in front of you
(typical rally scenario you might think!). In those sort of circumstances
you may already have let things get a bit slow and low, and might without
giving it full thought be still trying to make the nose point at the
numbers, while mostly concentrating on the guy to starboard who is
threatening to cut in. With the Smartass Mark's lovely wife will have
already told you several times that you are too slow or much too slow, but
without it, the windshear, the stall warner and the spin may all happen more
or less simultaneously. That system incidentally lets you set the chosen
approach speed very simply in the circuit, so that you can for instance set
a higher speed if conditions are boisterous, 'fickle' or whatever.
I should say that I don't have shares, nor yet a Smartass, but I have
flown with one and plan to put one in when I redesign my panel.
Regards, David Joyce, G-XSDJ
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 11:22 AM
>
> It seems to me that everyone is right - it doesn't matter how you stay
alert
> to the possibility of one or both wings stalling, if you let them, so long
> as you really do stay alert and maintain a safe margin at all times. Alert
> is the operative word. I'm sure we have all been reminded by this tragedy
> that stall/spin is a common killer and it could happen to any of us if we
> let it.
>
> The one specific thing I'd like to share was an incident ages ago when I
> stalled a Jodel from 30 feet due to windshear at Audley End (which can be
> very fickle if the wind is coming straight over the top of the hill). One
> moment I had an approach airspeed of 50kts, and the next it was 30 and I
> was falling not flying. Fortunately that aircraft had loads of washout on
> the wing so at least I came down the right way up.
>
> Willie Harrison
> G-BZNY - about to get a dose of Mod 66 following breakage of gas strut
attachment
> lug...
>
>
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