S-Turns Across a Road

Preflight Briefing:

Review the step by step procedure and how to compensate for wind.

S-Turns across a road (AFH 6-6)

• Purpose: to learn to maintain semicircles of equal radii on each side of a selected straight line on the ground, compensating for wind drift

1. Select a safe altitude.
2. Select a suitable ground reference line with consideration given to emergency landing areas.
3. Consider orientation, division of attention, and planning.
4. Configure the aircraft and airspeed prior to entry.
5. Use correct entry procedure
6. Use wind drift correction
7. Track semicircles of equal radii on either side of the selected ground reference line.
8. Maintain desired altitude and airspeed
9. Reverse turn direction over the ground reference line.
10. Coordinate flight controls.

• Select a straight line ground reference perpendicular to the wind
• Use a power setting enough to maintain altitude easily (clean configuration), as well as a constant airspeed
• Enter perpendicular to the road downwind (with a tailwind)
• Upon crossing the road, enter a steep bank back toward the road
• Use moderate bank at the 90° point of the turn to retain an equal distance either side of the road (as compared to your next turn)
• Lessen bank to a shallow bank, then to level wings as your cross the road
• Use shallow bank upon crossing the road
• Moderate bank at the 90° point
• Steep bank to get back to wings level crossing the road perpendicular again over the road.
• Common Errors

1. Faulty entry technique
2. Poor planning, orientation, or division of attention
3. Uncoordinated flight control application
4. Improper correction for wind drift
5. An unsymmetrical round track
6. Failure to maintain selected altitude or airspeed
7. Selection of a ground reference line where there is no suitable emergency landing area within gliding distance

Complete clearing turns before every performance maneuver—usually at least 180° change in direction, looking for traffic (Jeppesen Private Pilot pg. 4-6)

Post-Flight Debriefing:

Identify tasks that were completed to standards or above.

Identify and discuss tasks that were not completed to standards.

Record and grade completed tasks in the training record

Record training in the student’s logbook (reference the Areas of Operation above).

Give an assignment for the next flight session.

Next Assignment: Prepare for completing this lesson by reviewing tasks that were not performed to standards. If all tasks were performed to standards, assign the next lesson’s required material.