In article ,
Marc Ramsey wrote:
Mark James Boyd wrote:
Well, for now anyway, I can't see myself doing steep banks in the
pattern. And since the FAA says so, I'm gonna teach no more than
medium banks, and mild or moderate roll rates. At the recommended
pattern size, I don't see why this isn't sufficient.

In my mind (for gliders), a shallow bank is anything less than 30
degrees, moderate/medium is 30 to 45, steep is 45 to 55, and from 55 on
up you're in aerobatic territory. I use moderate turns for patterns and
most thermals, and steep turns only when needed for thermals (almost
always down low). I simply reject the notion that one is in any way
"safer" by using shallow turns near the ground...

I reread the posts, and I used a shallow bank in my case because of
a lack of horizon (in the mountains) and because I saw no point
banking more (and thereby increasing sink rate) unless it was to
better center a known thermal (which I didn't have at that point).

So I think we agree on everything except the use of steep turns
(over 45 of bank) down low in a thermal. And this is merely
dependent on your definition of "low." I imagine you, like
several other posters who have said the same thing, have a lot of time
in the glider you are flying, and are quite familiar with it's
airspeeds, control pressures, and have it loaded to a
consistent C.G. For you, 55 degree banks at 300 feet can
be precisely done, and successful.

For some of us with less currency and less practice in type,
this could be quite dangerous. Vertigo, inadvertent coarse use
of controls (including roll), imperfect centering technique,
visual illusions due to wind and movement of the ground,
different pressure feel caused by different gliders or
C.G.'s, etc. can make this more hazardous.

I think, for me, all of the things I've listed above are much more
critical at 45+ degrees of bank and 300 ft, than 20-30 degrees
of bank. So I am limited in the performance I can get out of
my flying, and won't feel competent to make a save at the
altitudes and bank angles you can. Perhaps with more experience
at steeper bank angles, this will change. It's just that
I seldom have exceeded 45 degrees of bank while coring any thermal
so far...perhaps I'll try some steeper banks next time...
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Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA