Hmmm good point, my instructor has been on me to keep the downwind
tight, maybe I'm making it too tight. And also probably not rolling
into the 30 degree bank fast enough.

slipping slowing down the turn, instructor sez to steepen the bank
and slip, because I am also rolling out on final too high.

Mike Rapoport wrote:

If you are having problems with turn radius you need to slow down. The
turns should be coordinated and if you are slipping (not enough rudder) that
will widen your turns too. Radius of turn at 80kts and 30 deg bank is 973'
which means that you need less than a third of a nm to make a 180. This
should not be a problem as no IAP that I have seen has a circling vis
minimium less than that. Remember that turn radius goes up as the square of
the speed. Slow down.

Mike
MU-2


"xyzzy" wrote in message
...

All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four years
and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final lined
up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping turns to
final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet lower than
the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being called upon to
do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated, and significantly
lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard to unlearn and as a
result my circling approaches are all overshooting final. So far I have
always been able to get back to it while staying coordinated and land with
plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself having an easier time doing
that than banking more than 30 degrees in a slip while only 300-400 feet
AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.