Could someone please explain the steep turn procedure because i can pass it ok in the lesson, but once im into the checkride on flight simulator 2002 i seem to fail everytime, ive got no problem on the taking off or normal turn, but the steep turn i dont seem to be able to do in thr checkridethanksmike

I think you have to maintain a 45 degree bank plus or minus 5 degrees.

You need to keep the ame angle of bank and hold the altitude steady. Keeping the horizon at the same point in the windscreen will help..

Just by luck I saw this, I'm currently doing it in my real flight training.You have to maintain 45 deg bank, return to your original heading +/- 10 deg and be +/- 100ft of your original height. You also need to stay +/- 10 kts on airspeed.As you go through about 35 deg bank, add back pressure to maintain your height as you will start to descend. Also adjust RPM's to maintain your airspeed, remembering if your increasing altitude, reduce back pressure and RPMs, and if you descend, pull back harder and increase RPM's. Look to straighten up about 20 deg or so before your orignal heading so you don't overshoot, and level off as well.

Hi Alaister,You may want to know the why and how of turns,and its effects on the plane and the pilot.You may already have "Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche".If not, It can make clear to you the art of flying.It has been a primary source of flying explanation for many ,and for many years. Good luck in your flight training. VIN

>Hi Alaister,You may want to know the why and how of turns,and>its effects on the plane and the pilot.You may already have>"Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche".If not, It can>make clear to you the art of flying.It has been a primary>source of flying explanation for many ,and for many years.> Good luck in your flight training. VINBest book on flying I ever read.. ...

Here is a good procedure for steep turns :1. Put the plane into a roughly 45 degrees turn, not more. 2. Do this slowly. 3. As the degree of roll increases, increase the pitch attitude too. 4. Make sure you keep the plane coordinated (i.e. the ball must remain centered). 5. When passing through 30 degrees, smoothly add power (about 100-200 RPM in the Cessna 172) but continue rolling the plane at about the same rate and keep making sure you are staying coordinated. 6. Try looking out of the window most of the time. Make sure the horizon intersects the top of the dashboard at the same place (i.e. your attitude doesn't change). 7. From time to time glance at the instruments in this order: a.) attitude indicator, b.) altimeter, c.) turn coordinator. 8. If you lose altitude, flatten the roll. Do not increase the pitch. That would only make the turn steeper. 9. Roll out about 10 degrees (or a bit more) before the intended heading. Do this firmly but smoothly. As you roll out of the turn, you will need to re-establish both the cruise attitude and the cruise power. Guy

One thing I was taugh is to use the trim when passing 30 degrees bank, this way there is no need to worry about applying back pressure. Try it, it helps a lot...Good luckJohn

>>One thing I was taugh is to use the trim when passing 30 degrees bank, >>this way there is no need to worry about applying back pressure.What!!! Your instructor should be banished, henceforth, forthwith and for ever! That is no way to fly an aircraft. I mean, its not like it is actually a difficult manoeuvre. What does he recommend for a loop?Also, in JAA land a steep turn is a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 60 deg and should be flown just as Guy described.

You have the right to express your opinions, but please, give me a break, yeah you dont have to use the trim, as a matter of fact, when I was training for my commercial, use of trim was prohibited for any maneuvers. However, it is absolutely ok to use the trim when practicing steep turns for private pilot level. I remember putting my airplane in a 60 degrees bank and have it perfectly trimmed.... Just have to be aware to retrim the aircraft when leveling the aircraft....Anyways, we all have our ways to do things, and I feel you are slightly over reacting witn your comments, I had a great instructor :) John

Hmmm. Twas meant to be so OTT it couldn't be taken seriously - I think I missed of a smiley :+ I do think use of trim in anything other than steady state wings level flight is a major no no though.

>Hmmm. Twas meant to be so OTT it couldn't be taken seriously>- I think I missed of a smiley :+ I do think use of trim in>anything other than steady state wings level flight is a major>no no though.If you ever get to fly anything bigger than say, a light twin, you may realize that your statement is not true.

>Just by luck I saw this, I'm currently doing it in my real>flight training.>>You have to maintain 45 deg bank, return to your original>heading +/- 10 deg and be +/- 100ft of your original height.>You also need to stay +/- 10 kts on airspeed.>>As you go through about 35 deg bank, add back pressure to>maintain your height as you will start to descend. Also adjust>RPM's to maintain your airspeed, remembering if your>increasing altitude, reduce back pressure and RPMs, and if you>descend, pull back harder and increase RPM's. Look to>straighten up about 20 deg or so before your orignal heading>so you don't overshoot, and level off as well. I have just finished aircraft general and have started the navigation part of the course - have you done 60 degree turns yet? What a laugh that is, as you need super muscles to keep the control column back :D The turn is so tight, you end up flying through your own wake tubulence!Good luck with the flying!Ray Keattch.

>One thing I was taugh is to use the trim when passing 30>degrees bank, this way there is no need to worry about>applying back pressure. Try it, it helps a lot...>Good luck>JohnThis is certainly not taught at my school, and the amount of trim required in a 60 degree turn would be huge. You really going to put all that trim in and out while controlling the aircraft in such a steep turn?Ray Keattch

When teaching beginning pilots, instructors often do not allow or hint the students on the use of trim through a dynamic maneuver such as a steep turn in order to give the student the "feel" of the plane during such a maneuver.But it does get to a point in a student's learning where he knows he needs back pressure and the instructor knows that he knows. At that point, not trimming the plane is just adding work for no reason when you could be making use of the trim and allowing yourself the ability to finesse the maneuver. A steep turn is actually a pretty steady state maneuver. You could set pitch, power, and trim, and there is no reason you can't sit back and enjoy a sixty degree banked turn for an hour.When you get to bigger planes, you will also find that in some of these bigger planes, you just do not have the elevator authority to go through a dynamic maneuver like that without some adjustment in trim. When you get to transport category aircraft, you will find that the moving stabilator actuated through the trim provides almost all the pitch authority of the aircraft while the small panels attached to the stabilator known as elevators are really meant for small adjustments in pitch. If you do not make use of the trim, you are just tiring yourself out for no good reason.