Checkride

Even if you never plan to perform steep turns after earning your certificate, your ability to perform them safely—and with some degree of precision—is an important skill to master. Consider that steep turns are required for nearly every pilot checkride from private through Airline Transport Pilot, and they’re a favorite during flight reviews and aircraft checkouts.

Steep turns are challenging, but checkride tasks and maneuvers do not find their way into the practical test standards simply because they are difficult to master. They’re there because they are important to master. Steep turns by themselves are not a big deal. But combine weak steep-turn technique with the added distraction of a botched crosswind landing approach, and you have the potential for an accident.

Steep turns should become a basic staple of your flying abilities—one that you can accomplish almost without thinking, because when you need a steep turn, you need it now, without hesitation. Most important, you must be able to accomplish them safely. This is just another way to determine that you have reached that all-important level of learning: correlation.

What is a correctly performed steep turn? It’s one in which you can maintain altitude, desired airspeed, and rudder coordination, and then roll out on a specific heading.

Let’s try one. Begin by clearing your practice area for traffic. Start on a cardinal (N-S-E-W) heading using section lines (if available) for your heading reference, or one that permits the use of a prominent landmark in the absence of section lines. Don’t focus on your heading indicator; this is not an instrument maneuver. Your scan should be mainly outside for most of this maneuver with only very brief glances at your flight instruments throughout the turn to check your performance.

Next, while looking straight ahead at the horizon, roll smoothly into your turn using coordinated aileron and rudder inputs until you have achieved an estimated 45-degree banked turn while keeping the nose attitude at, or just slightly above, the outside visual horizon as you add a touch of power to maintain airspeed. Confirm these inputs by taking quick peeks at your altimeter and attitude indicator’s bank index. These peeks, lasting less than a second each, allow you to determine whether any adjustments to pitch and/or bank need to be made.

Once the turn is established, take a visual snapshot of the sight picture (pitch/bank) you see out the window. Let this mental picture become your “attitude blueprint” as you make only minor deviations from it, thereby avoiding the common error of overcorrecting.

For the remainder of the maneuver, your primary attention should be outside, straight ahead for pitch and bank reference, while continuing to make frequent, brief scans of the altimeter, bank index, turn coordinator, and airspeed. For more precise altitude control, quickly scanning the altimeter every two to three seconds will help you fine-tune the required pitch attitude. Don’t bother to adjust the pitch trim while in the turn. This only creates another distraction that you’ll need to correct upon rolling out. I also find that after making any power adjustments, placing both hands on the control yoke improves control input sensitivity and accuracy.

Finally, as you approach the rollout heading, your attention should again be focused ahead to the visual horizon as you simultaneously roll wings level using coordinated rudder/aileron inputs, and pushing the elevator control forward to maintain the desired nose-on-the-horizon pitch attitude.

As you complete the turn and resume level flight, a power reduction should be made as you confirm, with a final (happy) glance at the flight instruments, that you are at the desired altitude, heading, and airspeed. Practice these until you can do them in your sleep and you’ll ace this important maneuver.