18 Steep Turns
CASA Recreational Pilot License (Aeroplane) — CASA Sample Syllabus Lesson 18.
This lesson takes the student's basic turning skills up to the steep turn — 45° and 60° of bank — and the performance manoeuvres built on it: maximum-rate and minimum-radius turns, the steep descending turn, recognising and recovering from a spiral dive, and sideslipping. It builds the underpinning knowledge of load factor and how bank angle raises both the 'g' the airframe carries and the speed at which the wing stalls, then revises the climb, descent, forced landing, radio-failure and flapless-landing skills the student already holds — all flown at a safe height in the training area.
Theory Brief — Part 1: Load Factor and the Aerodynamics of Steep Turns
Section titled “Theory Brief — Part 1: Load Factor and the Aerodynamics of Steep Turns”The "why" behind steep turns: the aerodynamic forces acting in a turn and which one actually turns the aeroplane, how bank angle drives load factor ('g'), why the stall speed rises with the square root of load factor (41% higher at 60° of bank), the dangers of unbalanced flight near the stall, the airframe's symmetrical and rolling 'g' limits, and the attitude-and-instrument picture of a good steep turn. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Theory Brief — Part 2: Flying Steep Turns, the Spiral Dive and Sideslipping
Section titled “Theory Brief — Part 2: Flying Steep Turns, the Spiral Dive and Sideslipping”Putting the theory to work: the steep level and descending turns, the maximum-rate and minimum-radius turns flown at the buffet, the spiral dive — how it develops, how it differs from a spin, and the power-wings-level-ease-out recovery — and the sideslip, its uses and its precautions and limitations. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Pre-flight briefing notes
Section titled “Pre-flight briefing notes”The pre-flight brief (~15 min, immediately before the flight) works best as an interactive whiteboard session, not slides — stepping through the manoeuvre sequence, the threats, and the recovery drills together with the student. These printable notes give you the briefing components (aim, today's flight walk-through, threats, and a lookout-and-recovery-rehearsal airmanship emphasis) with prompts and fill-in blanks, plus a front page to sketch your own whiteboard plan and running order. Although it will be helpful to plan and step through it yourself before the lesson, remember: modelling the process of the pre-flight brief — especially the spiral-dive recovery rehearsal — matters more than presenting a polished brief. This is why we do it interactively rather than as a presentation. Download the PDF of the briefing notes to print or use offline.
In-flight notes
Section titled “In-flight notes”Instructor kneeboard reference for the airborne sequence — the steep level turn, the maximum-rate and minimum-radius turns, the steep descending turn, spiral-dive recovery, the straight sideslip and slipping turn, the revised emergencies, and the flapless return. These use a portrait layout for easier use on a kneeboard or device. View the slides on this page on the right or open the slides directly, or download the PDF of the in-flight notes to print or use on your device offline.
Post-flight debrief
Section titled “Post-flight debrief”I plan to add post-flight debriefs once I have more experience conducting them, but I'm assuming it'll be more of a personal preference with assessment outcomes than a set of slides.
Useful resources for students
Section titled “Useful resources for students”- The NZ Civil Aviation Authority has a one-page Steep turns whiteboard and a Maximum rate turns whiteboard that summarise the technique in the NZ CAA Flight Instructor Guide style — suitable for the student to download and study before the flight.
- The NZ CAA also has an Unusual attitudes whiteboard that pairs well with the spiral-dive recovery.
- The FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight) covers the forces in a turn and load factor, including the load-factor-versus-bank-angle relationship and the flight envelope.
Example email to students before the lesson
Section titled “Example email to students before the lesson”If you are an instructor, feel free to modify this for your own use. Sending an email a few days before a lesson is a great way to engage people in the learning before they even arrive (if they have time and capacity).
Subject: Lesson 18 — Steep turns
Hi [name],
This lesson is a fun, hands-on one: we'll fly steep turns — up to 60° of bank — and feel the extra "g" that comes with them, then look at how a steep turn can go wrong (a spiral dive) and exactly how to recover, all from a safe height. We'll also try sideslipping, a handy way to lose height on an approach. The sensations are more dramatic than anything so far, and that's completely normal — we do it high and deliberately so nothing surprises you later.
Before the flight we'll do a bit of a longer theory session (close to an hour, in two parts) on load factor — why the wing works harder and stalls faster in a steep turn — and then how we fly each manoeuvre. Then we'll fly for about an hour. One tip: eat something light beforehand, as the turns can be a bit much on an empty (or very full) stomach.
If you'd like to prepare, you could work through the published briefings on this site [1] and have a look at the NZ CAA steep turns whiteboard [2]. I'd also recommend reading through the Bold Method article explaining why the stall speed increases with the bank angle [3].
When: [day]
See you then! [1] https://open-aviation-solutions.github.io/open-aviation-briefings/recreational-pilot-license/18-steep-turns/ [2] https://www.aviation.govt.nz/assets/licensing-and-certification/flight-instructor-guide/whiteboards/fig-whiteboard-am-st.pdf [3] https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aerodynamics/why-aircraft-stall-speed-increases-with-bank-angle-and-aerodynamic-load/