FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Flight Maneuvers and EndorsementsMedium
During S-turns across a road performed as a ground reference maneuver, the steepest bank angle should occur:
- AWhen the airplane is flying perpendicular to the road with a crosswind component
- BImmediately after crossing the road while flying directly into the wind
- CAt the midpoint of each turn regardless of wind direction
- DImmediately after crossing the road while flying directly downwind
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Immediately after crossing the road while flying directly downwind
S-turns require the pilot to vary the bank angle to maintain a constant radius turn as groundspeed changes with wind. Groundspeed is greatest when flying downwind, so the steepest bank must be applied immediately after crossing the road heading downwind, then gradually decreased to the shallowest bank as the airplane turns into the wind.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The steepest bank occurs at the crossing point, not the crosswind portion.
- B. Bank should be shallowest, not steepest, when heading into the wind.
- C. Bank angle must vary throughout the turn, not stay constant at the midpoint.
S-Turns Across a Road
A ground reference maneuver requiring the pilot to fly a series of half-circles of equal radius on opposite sides of a straight line, correcting bank angle for wind drift.
- Steepest bank immediately after crossing the road downwind
- Shallowest bank when turning into the wind
- Maintains constant radius track despite changing groundspeed
Memory trick: 'Downwind = dive the bank steep, upwind = ease it shallow.'