View Single Post
  #11  
Old June 11th 04, 06:46 PM
John H. Campbell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

whereas in gliders we're taught to bank at about 45 degrees or so.

I don't think so. A "medium" turn of 30 deg. works well (gliders are
typically most roll stable near this value), is first introduced, best
rehearsed, most common (it's the famous optimum bank for "standard"
thermals), easiest to perform (Laws of Learning REPEIR, Levels of Learning
RUAC...) and gives the option to go both to a "shallow" bank of 15 deg. or a
"steep" bank of 45 deg. to adjust turn radius in progress if necessary
(maintaining good coordination and speed control) without going (at low
altitudes no less) near the parachute-wearing limit of 60 deg. or the
"abrupt..." condition of aerobatic flight. The FAA PTS does not recommend
any particular bank angle for the Landing Task, but it does define a Steep
turn Task in the Performance Maneuver Area of Operation as 45 +/-5 deg. If
that's your starting value for an ordinary turn in the pattern, how much
steeper (and more stressful) are you planning to go if your path is going
past the line of the runway?