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Part 4 will be relatively quick, too (on my part)...  I hope this part generates some input and shared advice... because;  It's the type of flying that's fun; gives you a real feel for turn coordination... and helps prove that you're flying the plane; not just manipulating a video game.

Initiating, executing, maintaining and rolling out of a climbing turn (or descending turn); while holding a constant airspeed (and rate of climb/descent); requires use of all three control systems (yoke/stick .. rudder .. throttle). It's an important skill to master... Not only because it demonstrates piloting skill... but it reinforces reflexes and instincts that help in ALL other aspects of piloting. Like crosswind landings; complex commercial maneuvers and altitude/heading changes when you can't see the wingtips. It also instills comfort and confidence for your passengers. A passenger who is already nervous, won't be feeling any safer when your climbing turn, right after take-off, is sloppy and un-coordinated. All those suble G-forces in conflict will cause them to tense up, even more... ESPECIALLY if there's turbulence. Not to mention that an aircraft that's already on the edge of the power-curve is that much closer to a stall/spin, while turning, out of coordination.

Our "Instant Airline Captains", who think they can pilot big jets, are most likely making heading/altitude changes that would have their passengers spooked, airsick and gulping down their liquid sedatives.

When you're flying a tough, IMC, ILS... and ATC gives you that last call before turning you over to the tower... Being able to; turn, descend, and nail an airspeed... will make the rest of the approach, that much easier. If you grope your way into an ILS turn to final, you'll be paying for it, all the way in (and so will your passengers).

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If you enjoy watching the plane being flown, as opposed to flying it yourself  


There is NO autopilot in Sim Flight Training.. it doesn't exist..  

Of.. of course       And in real life.. I use the autopilot all the time.. even in piston singles, if it's available and works.

But we're still in training mode here...

For a constant airspeed climbing turn.. it's the same theory in reverse. Standard rate turn; 500fpm climb; +/- 10kias, EXCEPT that for a climb, your target airspeed is Vy (~75kias).. and then a return to cruise speed after rolling out and leveling off..




Now, I'll start work on the fun stuff... Radio navigation... Part 5

During my instrument training we did "vertical-S's", where you would start in straight and level flight at 4000 feet and start a standard rate turn to the right while starting a 500 fpm descent at the same time, then after two minutes, you would (hopefully) be at your initial heading at 3000 feet, and you would immediately start a standard rate turn to the left and start climbing at 500 fpm so after exactly four minutes of maneuvering, you would be on your initial heading, at your initial altitude.  It was really good for practicing adjusting your turns to keep them standard rate, maintaining a constant climb/descent rate, rolling into and out of turns on your desired heading, and leveling off at your desired altitude.  It was everything all in one.

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That's as good a drill as I can imagine... 

SubZer0 wrote on Jan 4^th, 2008 at 5:50pm:

The bank angle of a standard rate turn depends on your airspeed.  A standard rate turn is always 3° per second, no matter what aircraft you are flying or how fast you are going.  You can figure out what your bank angle should be by taking 15% of your airspeed, so at 100 kts, your bank angle would be 15°.  In faster aircraft, (over 200 kts) the bank angle is limited to 30° for a standard rate turn.  The easiest way to do it though is to use the turn coordinator and keep the indicator on the standard rate mark while timing and watching the heading indicator to make any adjustments so you do 360° in exactly 2 minutes.

SubZer0 wrote on Jan 4^th, 2008 at 5:50pm:


That's exactly correct.  For the vertical S, we turned for two minutes in one direction then two minutes in the other direction (a 360° and -360° turn) to end up on the heading we started at.  While we were doing that, we descended at 500 fpm for the first two minutes (down 1000 ft) then climbed at 500 fpm for the last two minutes (back up 1000 ft) to arrive at the altitude we started at.

Can I just say that flying a coordinated turn in MSFS is far harder than in real life.

Fantastic tutorials.