Which Way to Turn?

[Guest davaz]

I just completed my first tutorial flight today from KDSM to KORD and everything went fine -- except for a little bit of chiding by the controller for busting 250 kts on the climb out from Des Moines.Heavy traffic around Chicago and I was vectored around for a bit. Every time I got a new heading no one told me whether I should enter the heading via a right turn or a left one. I ended up turning the direction that produced the least amount of heading change. Whether this is correct procedure or not, I do not know. Is it?RegardsDAve

[jd 57]

if you are flying 090, and you're told to fly 115, i'd turn right. why turn left?jd

[Guest paddock524]

I think Doug could verify if this is correct, but as I recall when I was flying in the real world the controller would tell you to turn left or right to a new heading if he wanted you to turn the "long way" around. This might be for nearby traffic avoidance etc. If not told which way to turn then the shortest way would of course be the way to go.Bob P

[Guest Douglas Thompson]

Bob, yeah. This is pretty much correct. A guy heading 090^, I'd want to turn the long-way around to 180^ I'd say "...turn left heading 180^". He'd usually respond "...verify you want a left turn?" (sometimes with shock in the voice), and I'd confirm.Logic has it, you turn the direction yeilding the shortest turn unless otherwise stated.In the States, the book say to state left/right if voicing # of degrees. We don't have to with specific headings (unless above applies).IOW, "...turn thirty degrees left for xfic..." or "...turn fifteen degrees right for xfic..." is legal (and required). If I'm assining a specific heading, left/right's optional.