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Envelope Protection Technology training

With the advent of envelope protection available as an option for GA am wondering what training has been developed for this technology?

On heavy iron crew train to carry out stall recovery to the stick pusher, including when low level – stall recovery having priority over GPWS alerts. Obviously in a full motion simulator, to train the crew not to try and fight the stick pusher.

With the fashion for dragging in behind the power curve in the best YouTube STOL competition style, the envelope protection might kick in at relatively low level?

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

About 5 years ago, when I got my first envelope protection equipment installed (digital autopilot), I did a training syllabus for it and have been following it since. It is built of a 15 min ground school and approx 45 min flight to be incorporated in the usual recurring training and a lot of my FI friends do use it too. Yes, it needs training.

Germany

MichaLSA wrote:

I did a training syllabus for it

Did the syllabus come with the AP or did you find it somewhere else? In any case, I’m interested.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

With the fashion for dragging in behind the power curve in the best YouTube STOL competition style, the envelope protection might kick in at relatively low level?

I would be more worried about sideslipping with wrong ASI indication but good attitude

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

I did the syllabus with help of the vendor by myself. Bank angle protection is not really to worry about as it is easy to understand, but overspeed and underspeed protection really needs training.

Last Edited by MichaLSA at 21 Jun 08:04
Germany

Do the digital autopilots provide real AoA? In the absence of AoA vanes, auto throttle and stick shaker/stick pusher am guessing the envelope protection has its own envelope protection? ie the autopilot has to be disconnected below certain speeds and heights? Does it have degraded functions alerting the envelope protection is no longer operating?

Does the manufacturer provide an outline training syllabus?

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

I think “digital autopilot” is just marketing. The KFC225, year 1999, is fully digital in that the control loops are in software. And I think some of the other HBK ones from that era are too.

These boxes sense pitch with an internal pitch gyro – basically a “spirit level” device. There is no AoA input. Does any GA AP have real AoA input?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

The KFC225, year 1999, is fully digital in that the control loops are in software. And I think some of the other HBK ones from that era are too.

Certainly the KAP140 is digital.

One thing that is many cases is “more digital” toady is the sensor inputs and servo outputs. E.g. the KAP140 has essentially no digital input or output while the GFC500 has (as far as I know) only digital inputs and outputs.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

RobertL18C wrote:

Do the digital autopilots provide real AoA? In the absence of AoA vanes, auto throttle and stick shaker/stick pusher am guessing the envelope protection has its own envelope protection? ie the autopilot has to be disconnected below certain speeds and heights? Does it have degraded functions alerting the envelope protection is no longer operating?

Does the manufacturer provide an outline training syllabus?

I can’t answer all questions but my understanding SR22 system is disabled bellow 200ft agl, it can be disabled in menu or prolonged press on AP button, annunciation is visible by white marks on PFD near 45deg bank markers (as it’s mostly useful to protect against 45deg banks and overspeed), the training is included in CSIP training packages (if one can afford to cough 12k$), otherwise a read of manual for someone with enough technical background should be enough

I don’t know if it kicks in when ASI is knackered? or AoA sensor fails? and how failed/reliable is split?

As far as flying backside of the drag curve, actually one can disable ESP and fly them very slow, ideally using AoA indicator, say the STOL landing using Synt-Vision display, ahem STALL it on runway with full power in IMC with Flight Path Vector on threshold my conclusion on STOL land SR22, is that one is better off pulling his CAPS from safe heights, in comparison, DA40 STOL’s nicely using Synt-Vision data, which is puzzling as DA40 has T-tail with various issues at slow speeds but bizarrely well behaved in the back of the power curve…

PS: there was another safety pilot/instructor looking outside and monitoring rate of climb of ground, after 14 attempts, 7 for each pilot, the last one end up with tiny tail scratch on go-around but all looked safe enough to walk away from an emergency

Last Edited by Ibra at 21 Jun 09:50
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
Do the digital autopilots provide real AoA?

Most not and they don’t need to, AHRS, gyros and Pitot-static is sufficient for day VFR.

In the absence of AoA vanes, auto throttle and stick shaker/stick pusher am guessing the envelope protection has its own envelope protection? ie the autopilot has to be disconnected below certain speeds and heights?

No, that is why the pilot has to monitor, which means PIC has to be absolutely clear on what the ESP does.

Does it have degraded functions alerting the envelope protection is no longer operating?

No, it is not airliner protection.

Does the manufacturer provide an outline training syllabus?

The one I know do.

Last Edited by MichaLSA at 21 Jun 13:02
Germany
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