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Old May 25th 06, 08:31 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default preferrred bank angle indicator?

At 18:00 25 May 2006, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
As a low time pilot (150 hrs) I have been alarmed
at the number of
recent incidents relating to getting trapped in clouds.
In reading
though some old posts on this forum, I have concluded
that even though
everyone has the best intention of never getting into
clouds, it still
can happen to even the most experienced pilots.

I was encouraged to see that there were some viable
options for getting
out of the clouds alive, including the benign spiral,
flying south by
compas and using turn errors to maintain a heading
with dive brakes,
using GPS heading and groundspeed, and T&B indicators.
From what was
writtten, I don't consider a spin a safe option anymore,
unless I was
being pulled up into a large cell at 15 kts. So in
an effort to keep
my personal survival rate up to 100%, minimize pilot
stress, and
maximize my options, I am considering installing some
type of bank
angle indicator in the plane I fly (LS4a).

I noticed the TruTrak spins up in 3 seconds, gives
an acurate bank
angle even if powered on in a turn, and uses relatively
little power.
Does anyone have an opinion about this instrument or
others that would
do the trick? My only criteria is that it helps me
get out of the
clouds alive.

Thanks for any advice!



I have a TruTrak installed for this purpose and it
appears to be an excellent choice. It turns on in an
instant and shows bank angle all the while your turning.
It does not show pitch but for a sailplane the airspeed
indicator will suffice.