Steeper Turns

Steeper Turns, More to Manage

A medium turn uses about 30 degrees of bank. The steeper you tilt, the faster you turn — but the airplane also needs a little more help from you to stay level and keep its speed.

Bank angle

How much the wings are tilted. A 30-degree bank is steeper than the shallow turns you started with, so the turn happens faster.

Back pressure

A gentle pull on the yoke. In a steeper turn the nose wants to drop, so back pressure keeps it up and holds your altitude.

Rolling out on a heading

Picking your target direction before you start, then leveling the wings just as you reach it.

Steeper turns also make you feel heavier in your seat. In a 60-degree bank you would feel twice your body weight pressing down — just like the bottom of a roller coaster loop! Today's gentler 30-degree turns are much milder, but you'll still feel a little extra push.

Instructor Setup

Cessna 172 with G1000, trimmed in level cruise at 4,000 feet with plenty of clear airspace. Plan about 20 minutes. This slice builds to medium (about 30-degree) level turns with altitude control — do not go to steep (45-degree-plus) turns.

Session Flow

1. Brief the medium turn (3 min). Explain that the nose drops and speed bleeds off, so back pressure and a touch of power are added. Hand over a stable, trimmed airplane.
2. Demonstrate (4 min). Roll to about 30 degrees, add back pressure and a little power, hold altitude, then roll out on a chosen heading.
3. Student left turns (5 min). Student flies medium left turns, watching the altimeter and aiming to stay within about 100 feet.
4. Student right turns (5 min). Repeat to the right, coaching rollout on a target heading.
5. Wrap (3 min). Recap back pressure, power, and rollout, then preview the next lesson.

Watch for the nose dropping and altitude loss. The goal is a medium turn with altitude held and a clean rollout.

Debrief

Talk through how holding altitude felt as the bank got steeper.

• Increased the bank to about 30 degrees
• Added back pressure to keep the nose from dropping
• Added a little power to hold speed in the turn
• Worked to stay within about 100 feet of altitude
• Rolled out on a chosen target heading

Next Lesson

Next up is "Coming Down" (K16): making a smooth, controlled descent from cruise altitude. This starts a new group of lessons about descending and landing. Holding altitude in steeper turns today builds the smooth control you'll use coming down.

Skills You'll Work On

These are the maneuvers and procedures covered in this lesson. Your instructor tracks each one as you progress.

• Medium Turns
• Steep Turns
• Use Of Trim

Grades reflect what was covered in this lesson, not a certification of pilot competency.

Lesson Plan

Where this fits: Third of three sessions drawn from PPL Lesson 5, "Turning." This slice covers medium 30-degree turns with altitude control; K13 introduced shallow turns and K14 added rudder coordination. It completes the turning basics.

Prerequisite

K14 "Coordinated Flight" — the student should make balanced turns with the ball centered.

Materials

C172 G1000 simulator, student checklist card.

Goal for this session

Student flies medium 30-degree turns while holding altitude and rolling out on a target heading.

Looking Ahead

• K16 — Coming Down: a controlled power-off descent.
• K17 — Flaps and Approach: using flaps to fly slower and descend steeper.