Are Clearing Turns A Waste Of Time?

[Flylo]

Speaking of VFR flight in uncontrolled airspace; are clearing turns and/or raising or lowering a wing, depending on what you're flying, and looking in the direction you intend to turn, before you make the turn, a waste of time or even dangerous?

I've had instructors who were more worried about clearing turns than they were about fuel in the tanks; by the same token, I've had instructors who never even mentioned looking before you leap.

The only near misses I've experienced, in my admittedly very limited flying career, have been somebody flying underneath me while I was on final and someone overtaking me from abeam left and crossing directly in front of me. I don't think looking first would have helped in either one of those cases ( I always look for someone coming in on final, so help me, but I just plain didn't see him doing that long, low, straight in approach and he sure didn't see me. Yes, I was calling my turns and he wasn't.) and in the second case, a quick clearing turn might have put me right in her path. (Had to be a woman)

Whenever I have done a look-see and did happen to observe another aircraft that I hadn't previously been aware of, in the pattern or in the vicinity, they have always been too far away for my turns or maneuvers to have had any effect on them or me.

I guess what I'm asking is; if a clearing turn is made to check for traffic isn't there as good or better chance of causing a collision as avoiding one? Or another way of saying that is; if the traffic is close enough, in most cases, that you will actually have to make some adjustment to avoid it, then isn't the clearing manuver just as apt to cause a collision as to avoid it? I'm sure there have been some mishaps that were avoided because of a look-around, but how many have been caused or almost caused by the same "clearing turn"?

One thing that may have influenced my outlook is that all my flying is GA mostly in the southeast and midwest, and maybe it's just not crowded enough out here to give the impression of imminent danger.

In any event I would sure like to hear the opinions and experiences of you high timers.

 

[mckpickle]

Short awnser..........no



Long awnser...............................NO

There are pilots who have had a near miss (hit) and pilots that will. Good luck.

 

[bobbysamd]

Slightly longer answer

My instructor did not teach clearing turns to me until the very end of my Private training. That was so wrong. Aside from the fact that you want to see what's above you in a high-wing airplane and below you in a low-wing airplane, as a practical matter you can just about bet the ranch that you will bust a checkride if you don't clear properly.

Some examiners consider multiple clearing turns to be a waste of time. You should begin each maneuver with a clearing turn. Then, if the examiner says to do otherwise, you can do otherwise.

You always want to look before you leap.

 

[172driver]

Come to Central Florida and fly a lesson with me and we'll reassess the topic. If you haven't come close to someone around here, you probably haven't been looking outside. It may not be as busy where you are but how many midairs does it take to ruin your day?

 

[GCD]

Clearing before turning is always the best practice, flying and taxiing.

 

[tarp]

Sounds like an old movie ( all the trivia buffs can chime in here) where the rally race driver jumps in the seat, rips the rear view mirror off the windshield and states: "there's nothing in the mirror I need to see".

I guess the "big sky" theory is enough to keep us safe and if we hit something - oh well - it must have been destiny.

When you make a U-turn or K-turn on the road - do you look? Why? Clearing turns. Same answer.

As to the High-wing turning process, it goes something like this.

Desire to make right turn:
1.) look left in straight and level making sure no traffic
2.) bank left lifting right wing enough to see the area you are turning into.
3.) bank right into turn.

Seems like you are making your left bank without looking first if you are scared of hitting something while you are clearing.

As to performing steep turns, stalls, ground ref, etc without performing the clearing turn routine - well let's just say that I hope you have a nice big life insurance policy that'll pay for your family's support when you're gone. But if you won't do clearing turns, then I guess you don't buy insurance either.

 

[varicam]

Re: Slightly longer answer

My instructor did not teach clearing turns to me until the very end of my Private training. That was so wrong. Aside from the fact that you want to see what's above you in a high-wing airplane and below you in a low-wing airplane, as a practical matter you can just about bet the ranch that you will bust a checkride if you don't clear properly.

Some examiners consider multiple clearing turns to be a waste of time. You should begin each maneuver with a clearing turn. Then, if the examiner says to do otherwise, you can do otherwise.

You always want to look before you leap.

IHMO, if the examiner wants to forego clearing turns, he/she can pound sand! My butt is more important than an examiner's whim.

 

[kswhite]

Do you think there is a difference between "clearing turns" (ie 90 left and right or one 180 turn) and just banking the plane slightly left and right and looking around the area for traffic.

I believe some people get to tied into the technical details of what a PTS states and forget the fundamental purpose. TO MAKE CERTAIN THE AREA IS CLEAR OF TRAFFIC. If you can do that with looking around with a few slight banks and it saves you a minute and keeps the student interested, then god bless.

However, in the early part of Private training, standard clearing turns should always be adheared to in order to stress the importance of saftey....but before every single manuever for the rest of the training?...time is money people. Get the job done and move on.

 

[Deftone45075]

Yes, there is a difference between "clearing turns" and lifting (or lowering) the wing before you turn. Both are important.

As far as raising the wing before a turn, it is cheap insurance. For the little amount of effort it takes, you get a better look at who's around. If a student is tought to do this from the BEGINING, it becomes second nature, and you'll be doing it before each turn without even realizing it. This very well could save you from a mid air.

As far as "clearing turns" go, if your going to practice maneuvers such as steep turns and stalls, or Lazy Eights, than you really owe it to yourself to make a 90 degree clearing turn prior to the maneuver. Since most of your attention will be dovoted to flying the maneuver correctly, you want to make sure the area is clear well around you before you start.

 

[MarineGrunt]

I busted my private checkride because I forgot to do clearing turns before a maneuver. So whether you think they're important for spotting traffic or not, it's good practice.