LESSON: Turns Around a Point

OBJECTIVE:

To develop the students understanding of turns around a point

ELEMENTS:

Elements of turns around a point

  • How to select a suitable altitude
  • How to select a suitable ground reference point with consideration given to emergency landing areas
  • Orientation, division of attention, and planning
  • Configuration and airspeed prior to entry
  • Entry technique
  • Wind drift correction
  • How to maintain desired altitude, airspeed, and distance from the reference point
  • Coordination of flight controls

Common errors related to turns around a point

  • Faulty entry technique
  • Poor planning, orientation, or division of attention
  • Uncoordinated flight control application
  • Improper Correction for wind drift
  • Failure to maintain selected altitude or airspeed
  • Selection of a ground reference point where there is no suitable emergency landing area within gliding distance

SCHEDULE:

  • 20 minutes total

EQUIPMENT:

  • Appropriate textbooks
  • Chalkboard & chalk
  • Model aircraft
  • Appropriate slides/Visual Aids

INSTRUCTORS ACTIONS:

  • Discuss lesson objective
  • Introduce the concept of turns around a point
  • Describe how to successfully perform turns around a point
  • Discuss common errors related to turns around a point
  • Ask pertinent questions to determine students understanding
  • Assign appropriate study material

STUDENTS ACTIONS:

  • Listen, take notes, ask questions
  • Respond to instructors questions
  • Leave with a framework understanding of the subject

COMPLETEION STANDARDS:

The student should demonstrate adequate understanding of turns around a point by:

  • Exhibiting knowledge of the elements related to turns around a point
  • Determining the wind direction and speed
  • Selecting the reference point with an emergency landing area within gliding distance
  • Planing the maneuver so as to enter at 600 to 1000 feet AGL, at an appropriate distance from the reference point, with the airplane headed downwind and the first turn is to the left
  • Applying adequate wind-drift correction to track a constant radius circle around the selected reference point with a bank of approximately 45 at the steepest point in the turn
  • Diving attention between aircraft control and the ground track and maintaining coordinated flight
  • Completing two turns, exiting at the point of entry at the same altitude and airspeed at which the maneuver was started
  • Maintaining altitude,  100 feet; maintaining airspeed  10 knots

Introduction

Attention/Motivation

Turns around a point are an excellent and essential maneuver for fine tuning your wind drift correction procedures and skills

Overview

This lesson describes the procedure for performing turns around a point and discusses some common errors encountered while performing them

DEVELOPMENT

Description:Complete two or more 360 turns while maintaining a fixed distance from a reference point on the ground

Objective: To help the pilot develop the ability to subconsciously control the airplane

while dividing attention between the flight-path and ground references and watching for other air traffic in the vicinity

Procedure:

  1. Select ground reference point
  • Consideration given to emergency landing areas
  • Easily identifiable: Preferably round and doesn’t blend with the surroundings
  1. Select a suitable altitude
  • 1000 feet AGL
  1. Determine wind direction and speed
  • WX Reports, ATIS, AWOS
  • Ground references: Flags, smoke/dust, lake swells
  • Performing a wind drift circle
  1. Clear the area
  • Clearing turns
  • 122.75, announce: area, altitude, maneuvers
  1. Entry technique
  • Enter directly downwind (Highest ground-speed and steepest turn first)
  • Reference point should be on the left
  • Aircraft should be approximately ¼ mile from the point
  • Airspeed should be at maneuvering speed (95 knots)
  • Clean configuration
  • Look for a prominent landmark straight ahead
  1. Bank
  • Roll in to the turn with coordinated aileron and rudder
  • Add back pressure
  • Bank angle will control distance from the point
  • Higher ground-speed requires steeper bank
  • First 90 will be steepest bank, highest ground-speed
  • 90 point crabbed into the wind
  • Second 90 will change from medium to shallow bank will change from steep to medium bank
  • 180 point no crab
  • Third 90 will change from medium to shallow bank, lowest ground-speed
  • 270 point crabbed into the wind
  • Last 90 will change from shallow to medium bank
  • 360 point no crab
  • Constantly changing bank angle
  1. Keep a scan inside and out during the maneuver
  • Reference point for distance
  • Airspeed indicator for airspeed, Altimeter for altitude
  • Turn coordinator for the quality if the turn
  • Outside for traffic
  1. Continue through another 360 , for a total of two 360 turns
  2. Rollout on your landmark that you identified during the entry
  • Coordinated aileron and rudder, relieving back pressure

Common errors related to turns around a point

Faulty entry technique

  • Not entering downwind
  • Excessive airspeed
  • Too close or too far from the point
  • Not using the steepest angle of bank initially

Poor planning, orientation, or division of attention

  • Results in either the Amoebae, Hail and Farewell, or the Roller-coaster
  • Not changing bank angle and crabbing to anticipate and correct for wind drift
  • Not picking a visible landmark, and as a result loosing sight of it
  • Incorrectly anticipating wind direction and speed
  • Focusing exclusively on the point: Not having a good scan, inside and out

Uncoordinated flight control application

  • Slipping or skidding turn
  • Use the turn coordinator

Improper Correction for wind drift

  • Results in an increasing or decreasing turn radius
  • Do not attempt to keep the wingtip on the reference point
  • Make sure you are using the appropriate bank angle

Failure to maintain selected altitude or airspeed

  • Keep a continuos scan between reference point, flight instruments, and outside

Selection of a ground reference point where there is no suitable emergency landing area within gliding distance

  • Choose a relatively flat area with few obstructions (Houses, buildings, trees)

CONCLUSION

  • Perform a 360 turn while maintaining a constant radius from a central point
  • Must vary bank angle to maintain a fixed distance from the point
  • Wind direction and speed determines ground speed determines bank angle
  • While performing the maneuver keep a constant scan between reference point, flight instruments, and surrounding airspace
  • Choose a suitable location to perform the maneuver