FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Aerodynamics and Principles of FlightMedium
An airplane is in a coordinated, level turn at a 60° bank angle. What load factor is the airplane experiencing?
- A1.0 G
- B2.5 G
- C1.41 G
- D2.0 G
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. 2.0 G
Load factor in a level turn equals 1/cos(bank angle). For 60°, cos(60°) = 0.5, so load factor = 1/0.5 = 2.0 G.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 1.0 G applies only to unaccelerated, wings-level flight.
- B. 2.5 G corresponds to a steeper bank of roughly 66°, not 60°.
- C. 1.41 G corresponds to a 45° bank angle (1/cos45° = 1.41).
Load Factor in a Turn
Load factor is the ratio of lift to aircraft weight and increases with bank angle in a level turn according to n = 1/cos(bank angle).
- 30° bank = 1.15 G
- 45° bank = 1.41 G
- 60° bank = 2.0 G
- 75° bank = 3.86 G
Memory trick: '60 gets you 2' — steep bank doubles your weight