When high, either VMC or IMC, our orientation is horizontal. We are mostly concerned with our nose or the AH pipper on the real or artificial horizon. In a level turn we want the speed of nose movement, on the horizon, to be appropriate for the angle of bank. Level turns of greater than 1g are safe enough because we can decrease bank, when the load factor becomes dangerous, without hitting anything.

Either low or in a steep energy management turn (crop duster, gun return to target, river or pipeline patrol, etc) orientation is at a slant to the near terrain. In the steep energy management turn, the forward horizon is above the top of the windscreen and lateral horizon is blocked by wing in the direction of turn and cabin door away from the turn (high wing.) That is why Ag planes are low wing. We want the nose movement across terrain to be appropriate for the angle of bank. If we have zoom reserve in airspeed, we first pitch up wings level to slow and gain a little altitude. Before stall we turn continuously increasing bank and rudder while allowing the nose to go down, turning and descending to the target. This is as steep (fast nose movement) or as shallow (slower nose movement) as necessary to make the target before loss of all altitude. Unless we pull back on the stick, it will be a 1g turn regardless of bank angle.

Thanks Jim . I always look for your posts and read yours first . Please don’t quit educating me .

umwminer,

I sometimes feel I have beat up "Contact Flying" and " Safe Maneuvering Flight Techniques " enough, and then a thought comes in the middle of the night or someone has a question.

After so many hours over so many years, followed by so few I thought I would just "fade away." Maybe not.

Keep in touch.

Contact