Francis Gentile

In the short term, I would like to suggest rapidly requiring the taping a Yaw string to the front windows of subject aircraft and other aircraft to give the pilot maximum feedback against excessive yaw and pilot induced oscillation. Such an yaw string installation is required equipment on glider aircraft. I saw one on a C-17 during testing at Edwards airforce base. I believe the F-14 Tomcat had an automatically deploying yaw string for landing. The Wright brothers used a piece of yarn as their sole instrument for pitch and yaw. Some testing of types of yarns and locations on heated surfaces may find a position where the yaw string may remain usable in freezing conditions. Visibility at night could be facilitated by placement, reflectivity and phosphorescence. Simultaneous testing of yarn placed on side windows could result in a requirement for side window yarns which could give indication of gross errors in angle of attack which could help prevents accidents such as Air France 447, Colgan Air, Perpignan etc. I would ask for the inclusion in the docket of Aviation Week "Crash Probe Triggers Rudder Design Scrutiny" By Michael A. Dornheim 01-Apr-2002 with the consideration that just because most pilots can operate modern rudder designs most of the time, does not mean that the design philosophy of all brands of aircraft should not be improved by new requirements so as to relieve the limited adaptive capability of pilots to be used elsewhere. The NPRM comment process is perhaps the first true 'Blog' and forum, and a very admirable, beneficial and democratic process. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.