An angle of attack sensor comprising: a housing; a rotatable shaft disposed within the housing; a rotary position sensor, disposed within the housing, that senses rotational position of the rotatable shaft; and a vane that is connected to the rotatable shaft and configured to freely rotate to align with a direction of an oncoming airflow over the vane, the vane comprising: a vane hub connected to the rotatable shaft; and an airfoil extending from the vane hub and comprising: a root proximate the vane hub; a tip opposite the root; a leading edge extending from the root to the tip; a trailing edge opposite the leading edge and extending from the root to the tip; a first lateral face extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a second lateral face, opposite the first lateral face and extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and a heating element disposed within the airfoil between the first and second lateral faces proximate the leading edge; the angle of attack sensor characterized in that the first and second lateral faces (42A, 42B) are symmetric about a chord of the airfoil and each have an outer surface profile that is nonlinear and geometrically convex from the leading edge to the trailing edge; wherein a length of the heating element extending in a direction along the chord of the airfoil is less than twenty-five percent of a length of the chord; and wherein the heating element comprises a self-regulated chip heater. a housing; a rotatable shaft disposed within the housing; a rotary position sensor, disposed within the housing, that senses rotational position of the rotatable shaft; and a vane that is connected to the rotatable shaft and configured to freely rotate to align with a direction of an oncoming airflow over the vane, the vane comprising: a vane hub connected to the rotatable shaft; and an airfoil extending from the vane hub and comprising: a root proximate the vane hub; a tip opposite the root; a leading edge extending from the root to the tip; a trailing edge opposite the leading edge and extending from the root to the tip; a first lateral face extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a second lateral face, opposite the first lateral face and extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and a heating element disposed within the airfoil between the first and second lateral faces proximate the leading edge; the angle of attack sensor characterized in that the first and second lateral faces (42A, 42B) are symmetric about a chord of the airfoil and each have an outer surface profile that is nonlinear and geometrically convex from the leading edge to the trailing edge; wherein a length of the heating element extending in a direction along the chord of the airfoil is less than twenty-five percent of a length of the chord; and wherein the heating element comprises a self-regulated chip heater. a vane hub connected to the rotatable shaft; and an airfoil extending from the vane hub and comprising: a root proximate the vane hub; a tip opposite the root; a leading edge extending from the root to the tip; a trailing edge opposite the leading edge and extending from the root to the tip; a first lateral face extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a second lateral face, opposite the first lateral face and extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and a heating element disposed within the airfoil between the first and second lateral faces proximate the leading edge; the angle of attack sensor characterized in that the first and second lateral faces (42A, 42B) are symmetric about a chord of the airfoil and each have an outer surface profile that is nonlinear and geometrically convex from the leading edge to the trailing edge; wherein a length of the heating element extending in a direction along the chord of the airfoil is less than twenty-five percent of a length of the chord; and wherein the heating element comprises a self-regulated chip heater. a root proximate the vane hub; a tip opposite the root; a leading edge extending from the root to the tip; a trailing edge opposite the leading edge and extending from the root to the tip; a first lateral face extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a second lateral face, opposite the first lateral face and extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and a heating element disposed within the airfoil between the first and second lateral faces proximate the leading edge; the angle of attack sensor characterized in that the first and second lateral faces (42A, 42B) are symmetric about a chord of the airfoil and each have an outer surface profile that is nonlinear and geometrically convex from the leading edge to the trailing edge; wherein a length of the heating element extending in a direction along the chord of the airfoil is less than twenty-five percent of a length of the chord; and wherein the heating element comprises a self-regulated chip heater.