Wagit,
Things might be better if there was better training! Throughout my training (and what I was subsequently taught to teach
) was blue line this and blue line that. It was not until I was out on my own did I start to think about things. I never had a C&T the same experience as say Chuck above, and to adhere to a speed other than blue line was something I worked out myself after reading and rereading that mysterious dog eared faded tome in the seat pocket.
Blue line (as you are well aware!) is a speed which should only ever be maintained in ONE condition - engine failure at MTOW sea level ISA day. Anything changes and so does the speed! But having said that it's a useful reference. If you are light or high (PNG?) knock a few knots off - refer the flight manual. Easier than trying to remember speeds given the sh!t fark factor.
I do not recall at any stage during my initial multi (or during my multi engine instructors rating
) having to understand and explain why for example Vyse varies with height.
Part of the problem could as well be so many new CPLs get their MECIR, taught to them by an snotty nosed instructor with all of 700 hours total and 50 hours multi and a 5 hour 'training' course (of which I was one). The students then go bush for 2 years before they get thrown a twin (me again) and only then when its thrown in their face do SOME of them start asking questions.
The old wives tales then start doing the rounds... To quote
Gaunty..."dancing with somebody who danced with somebody who danced with the prince of Wales". Somebody told somebody that holding it on the runway is a good thing to past blue line as its safer. That somebody told the author of this article who in the absence of any other direction turned it into gospel, infecting a whole new generation of pilots.
What the industry needs is people with thousands of hours real flying (the likes of most of the posters above) to teach and check the new breed. But unfortunately people of such calibre are not lured into instructing for obvious reasons.
Instead people get taught by the sort of well intentioned, but naive 700 hour TT multi engine instructor like I was. I often think back to what I knew then, to what I know now, and what I have yet to learn. Only now with a still relatively low 2200 hours multi in charter and bush ops in piston and turbine do I feel that I have the depth of knowledge
and experience to be a worthy multi engine instructor. (Also acknowledging that I have a lot more to learn - amongst other things how I will react when a fan stops!). :Hmm:
Maybe also IFR renewals should focus on these issues too..performance and procedures? I cannot recall being asked any FAR 23 performance based questions on an IFR renewal. Instead its been just the usual "do you need a clock or a watch for this op?"
Priorities! A second hand (or lack thereof) on a watch is not going to kill you - but holding it on till blue line will!
Then again how many MB or BK ATOs have experience with marginal performance on marginal length stips outside the circuit?
[/RANT]
CS
Edit as I got sidetracked -
Wagit how susceptible to error would a commercially available AoA indicator be, and its relaibility in an airframe?