How to Calibrate Angle-of-Attack on Garmin’s G3X Touch System

By
Paul Dye
-
7

For pilots who fly with modern electronic flight instruments, having access to accurate, repeatable angle-of-attack (AoA) information can be transformative. But before you can use it, you have to calibrate each installation. KITPLANES editor at large Paul Dye literally flies us through the calibration process for the Garmin G3X Touch in his wife’s Van’s RV-6. It almost takes longer to describe than to accomplish, but seeing Paul do it should help guide the way.

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Paul Dye
Paul Dye
http://ironflight.com/
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 40 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the Space Shuttle. An avid homebuilder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 and SubSonex jet that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra and an electric Xenos motorglider they completed. Currently, they are building an F1 Rocket. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 6000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, FAA DAR, EAA Tech Counselor and Flight Advisor; he was formerly a member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.
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7 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks Paul. Mine is calibrated but wanted to do it again and this helps. If you are cold out in Dayton, you should be here in Michigan!

    • Yes, as I think we mentioned in the video, you can repeat the calibration for the “flaps down” case, but the process is absolutely identical, and I hate long videos…

  3. G3X has a flaps down calibration in addition to the flaps up calibration shown in the video; instructions in the G3X manual.

  4. Thanks for the video — I hope to use the info before long. Since you’re calibrating the AOA annunciations against airspeed (e.g. approach airspeed), is there an issue with weight at which you perform the calibration?

    • Hi Chris – without getting too deep into equations, there is a direct relationship between weight and lift (they are equal for level flight) and airspeed for a given Cl (coefficient of lift). What we are most concerned with is the stall Cl, which is always constant – so if weight goes up, the stall speed goes up. For approach, the same is true, but it is less critical, because you should be well below stall Sl at that point. Nevertheless, it is customary to calibrate AoA at max gross weight, which will correspond to the highest stall speed. I’d do the same for approach because it is simple, and gives you a little added margin for approaches below that speed.

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