Just after takeoff, in real life, how long must the pilot wait until he can make a turn? For example if you get from ATC that you have to turn left after takeoff, can you do it immediately, already when gear is getting in? Or is there some specific altitude like 1500ft or so?

There can be no definitive answer. It depends on the location, runway in use, weather, ATC directions, SIDS, the desires of the pilot and the performance of the airframe. Environmental considerations often influence departures these days - a simple GA example at my local field there is a farmer who is known to be touchy about overflights (needless to say the airfield has been there for forty years, he's been there seven) and commonly phones up to complain about `invasion of privacy` whenever an aircraft strays over his pathetic shambles of a farm. Allcott

no turns below 400 ft .. personally i always take no turns below minimum circling altitude

I've seen aircraft from Cessna's to Challenger's start to turn 70 degrees east after takeoff from Rwy 15 at KADS before clearing the airport southern boundary.I've seen others continue straight on and climb into the Dallas Class B airspace.I don't think there is a hard and fast rule.At KADS, almost no aircraft are cleared to turn west when taking off Rwy 15 - and straight on climbs to the south require coordination with the KDAL tower and approach to ensure separation with the SWA inbound aircraft crossing at almost 90 degrees about two miles from the runway end at 2,500 ft.

>I've seen aircraft from Cessna's to Challenger's start to>turn 70 degrees east after takeoff from Rwy 15 at KADS before>clearing the airport southern boundary.>>I've seen others continue straight on and climb into the>Dallas Class B airspace.>>I don't think there is a hard and fast rule.>>At KADS, almost no aircraft are cleared to turn west when>taking off Rwy 15 - and straight on climbs to the south>require coordination with the KDAL tower and approach to>ensure separation with the SWA inbound aircraft crossing at>almost 90 degrees about two miles from the runway end at 2,500>ft.Ofcourse there are rules. In Aviation, there are rules up the wazoo. :)My recommedation for Flight simmers is to get the FAR/AIM book published by the US dept. of Tramsportation. Its a govt publication and hence very cheap. If you know any real pilot or a flight school nearby you can get an expired one for free. Since this is published every year. There is also an online one. Its a great source (encyclopedia of Aviation).AIM : http://www.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/index.htmhttp://www.faa.gov/sitemap/?CFID=35429718&CFTOKEN=96274961RAC - 7.0 INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES

OK! So shortly said, its forbidden to turn if below 400ft. Right, that was what I wanted to know. Great forums, you gotta love it! :)

>OK! So shortly said, its forbidden to turn if below 400ft.>Right, that was what I wanted to know. Great forums, you gotta>love it! :)Generally, Local Rules for the airport in question apply. At my local "uncontrolled" airport, I was taught to climb to 600 feet AGL before turning LEFT and continueing to climb to pattern altitude. Higher performance..AND larger aircraft have slightly "higher" pattern altitudes... again, local rules apply. If you are on an IFR flightplan and under control of a "nearby" ATC..even though you are departing an "uncontrolled" airport, then I believe ATC makes the rules. I've seen local pilots with higher performance airplanes turn sooner and at a high angle of bank. They are referred to as "Hot Doggers" and are generally frowned upon by fellow pilots.We had one pilot who owned a Pitts Special who liked to takeoff and fly in ground effect "almost" to the end of the runway to gain maximum speed before climbing almost Strait Up ..to pattern altitude and then quickly leveling off. Great to see. SPOFF

The STANDARD rule in the US for IFR flights is, as previously mentioned, 400 ft AGL. Different airports will have different procedures to be followed, in the form of either a text or graphic Departure Procedure. These can be found in the terminal procedures publications (the text DP's are in the front with takeoff min's and the graphic SID's are in the back with approach plates). For VFR flights, it depends on what type of airport you're departing. If it's a controlled field and the tower approves a turnout, you can generally start your turn at 500' AGL. If it's an uncontrolled field, though, standard procedure is to climb straight out to at least pattern altitude (600'-1000' AGL in the US, with 1000' being the standard), then either continue straight out or execute a 45-degree turn to the left or the right, depending on whether it's left or right traffic. Once clear of the area, you can proceed on course.Cheers,MG

yep...that's what my instructor taught me....400 ft. AGL. Even then, it would be hard to turn back to the runway if you lost your engine.

>yep...that's what my instructor taught me....400 ft. AGL.>Even then, it would be hard to turn back to the runway if you>lost your engine.If you're instructor taught you to turn back at 400AGL, then you must be very, very old.Allcott

>(needless to say>the airfield has been there for forty years, he's been there>seven) and commonly phones up to complain about `invasion of>privacy` whenever an aircraft strays over his pathetic>shambles of a farm. >>>AllcottHe just doesn't want you flyboys to notice the pot that he's growing in the middle of his fields surrounded by corn... ;)--2002cbr600f4i

heheh.....read again Allcott....he said it would be VERY HARD to turn back at 400 feet. What he taught me was to land straight ahead in that event. But you're right...I'm an old guy.

As others have said here, in the absence of any other factor, 400' AGL is the minimum altitude (at least for Part 91 ops).I also include flying to the end of the runway before turnimg, so translate this as "the end of the runway , or later if not yet at 400' AGL". That's just my interpretation, and also concurs with the tower at my airport that always likes to be told if I intend to turn prior to flying the entire length of thr runway. I like to turn early if departing after a bus jet, as it's greater angle of climb will put me under it's flight path and therefore suseptable to wake turbulence before I get to the far end of the runway. In that event, I request a "turn at mid-field", climb at something close to Vx before turning, but never prior to 400' AGL.Bruce.

Yeah, I believe the standard is 1/2 mile past the departure end of the runway.-MG