✈️ Aviation Brief — Issue #93
Weekly insights for student pilots and the instructors who train them.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
CA.V.C — Steep Turns (Commercial Pilot ACS)
1. ACS STANDARDS SUMMARY
The examiner expects you to clear the area, establish a coordinated 50° bank turn (±5°), and maintain altitude within 100 feet, airspeed within 10 knots, and roll out on the specified heading within 10°. You must demonstrate proper rudder coordination throughout, divide attention between inside and outside references, and maintain awareness of other traffic.
2. THREE COMMON STUDENT MISTAKES
- Failing to add back pressure early enough as bank increases, causing a consistent altitude loss of 150–200 feet.
- Over-controlling the ailerons once established, allowing the bank to creep past 55° and requiring large corrections that upset pitch and coordination.
- Neglecting rudder input during rollout, especially on the left turn, which produces a pronounced skid and an overshoot of the target heading.
3. CFI PRO TIP
Before rolling in, pick a distant ground reference that lines up with your rollout heading. Keep that point in sight during the turn; it gives you an immediate visual cue for when to begin rolling out and helps keep the maneuver smooth instead of chasing the heading indicator.
4. SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
NTSB accident data shows a recurring pattern of loss-of-control incidents when pilots perform steep turns at low altitude, often while trying to correct for overshooting final in the traffic pattern. Many of these cases involve uncoordinated flight that quickly develops into a stall-spin at altitudes too low for recovery.
5. DID YOU KNOW
A 50° bank increases the load factor to roughly 1.5 Gs, so the wing must produce 50 percent more lift than in level flight just to hold altitude.
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