Commercial Pilot for Airplane Category › V. Performance Maneuvers and Ground Reference Maneuvers › Task B. Steep Spiral (ASEL, ASES)

CA.V.B.S4

Skill

Apply wind-drift correction to track a constant radius circle around selected reference point with bank not to exceed 60° a steepest point in turn.

Practice questions Ask the tutor

Study note

Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

From the FAA library

Airplane Flying Handbook p. 10-4
Chapter 10: Performance Maneuvers › Steep Spiral
clearing the airspace for air traffic and hazards. In general, the throttle is closed to idle, carburetor heat is applied if equipped, and gliding speed is established. Once the proper airspeed is attained, the pitch should be lowered ... airplane rolled to the desired bank angle as the reference point is reached. The pilot should consider the distance from the reference point since that establishes the turning radius, and the steepest bank should not exceed 60°. The gliding spiral…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 7-5
Chapter 7: Ground Reference Maneuvers › Drift and Ground Track Control › Tracking Over and Parallel to a Straight Line
necessary to increase or decrease the angle of bank, which increases or decreases the rate of turn, to achieve the desired constant radius track over the ground. Ground reference maneuvers should always be entered from a downwind position. This allows ... pilot to establish the steepest bank angle required to maintain a constant radius ground track. If the bank is too steep, the pilot should immediately exit the maneuver and re-establish a lateral position that is further from the ground…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 7-8
Chapter 7: Ground Reference Maneuvers › Turns Around a Point
Figure 7-5. Turns around a point. When performing a turn around a point, the pilot should select a prominent, ground-based reference that is easily distinguishable yet small enough to present a precise reference. The pilot should enter ... maneuver downwind, where the groundspeed is at its fastest, at the appropriate radius of turn and distance from the selected ground-based reference point. In a high-wing airplane, the lowered wing may block the view of the ground reference…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 7-4
Chapter 7: Ground Reference Maneuvers › Drift and Ground Track Control › Constant Radius During Turning Flight
With some experience, pilots may notice how wind direction affects the time needed for various segments of ground-referenced turns. To demonstrate the effect that wind has on turns, the pilot should select a straight-line ground reference, such ... road or railroad track. [Figure 7-3] Choosing a straight-line ground reference that is parallel to the wind, the airplane would be flown into the wind and directly over the selected straight-line ground reference. Once a straight-line…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 10-2
Chapter 10: Performance Maneuvers › Steep Turns
airplane’s inherent overbanking tendency 3. Significant loss of the vertical component of lift when the wings are steeply banked 4. Substantial pitch control pressures 5. The need for increased additional power to maintain altitude at a constant airspeed during ... turn As discussed in previous chapters, when banking an airplane for a level turn, the total lift divides into vertical and horizontal components of lift. In order to maintain altitude at a constant airspeed, the pilot increases the angle…