The angle of attack

The author considers the angle-of-attack compensator and the static pressure sensor. A true angle of attack is required to correct static and dynamic pressures. Static pressure is necessary to calculate altitude. Dynamic pressure is necessary to calculate speed. Sensing the angle of attack is crucial to correcting all sensed parameters. As an aircraft flies at an angle of attack, static pressure is increased by a total pressure component. Similarly, total pressure can be reduced. Both pressures require correction according to the angle of attack.