Turns around a point

[Horizon]

Anyone have any tips on how to master this maneuver?

I know the whole "more bank on the downwind side" thing, but any other tips?

 

[Doc Holiday]

Try visualizing the track you want the aircraft to follow over the ground, then maneuver the airplane over little landmarks along that track. I find it is easier to adjust for drift a little at a time using this method than to only focus on the center point.

 

[time builder]

Anyone have any tips on how to master this maneuver?

I know the whole "more bank on the downwind side" thing, but any other tips?

I assume you mean wind correction angle, which is a factor, but not the only one.

The more I do ground reference maneuvers the more I emphasize ground speed. The more speed, the more bank. Also, with your eights on pylons, your ground speed (and consequently pivotal altitude) is not only determined by your indicated airspeed (by moving up and down) but also your wind factor.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Like someone else said, it's much easier if you focus on where you want to be. Set up 4 (90 degrees) or 8 (45 each) cardinal points on the ground and just fly towards them. The bank will be automatic as you maneuver the aircraft so that it heads in a direction which will place you over the selected points around the point.

 

[Horizon]

Sounds like good advise, I will have to try this out. Thanks!

 

[Kream926]

find a place with 4 sqaure fields and have em fly to the top pf the " + " if you can visualize that

 

[midlifeflyer]

Sounds like good advise, I will have to try this out. Thanks!

It was excellent advice - all that "steepen the bank based on wind direction and strengthc" stuff is to allow you to understand what is happening and =how= to keep on track, but the whole idea is to keep on track, not to guess what the wind is doing, close your eyes, and put in some bank.

 

[FlyinFife]

On the downwind side, you have your steepest bank; while on the upwind side you have your shallowest bank. Don't forget that when you are at your crosswind points you need to crab into the wind.

If you can visualize this: when starting on the downwind, with your steepest bank, you are actually going to hold your "steepest" for more than 90 degrees to allow you to crab; when coming from the shallowest side, you are going to hold the "shallow bank" for more than 90 degrees to allow you to crab into the "bottom" side.

Distance is also another issue. I have my students use a half mile from the desired point. It is pretty easy to determine your distance if you fly in the midwest. Section lines, half section lines, tree lines, roads, power lines - they all pretty much fall on mile/half-mile segments. So, as previous people have suggested, find your reference points prior to starting the maneuver.

Once you have started the maneuver and are approaching your reference points, look down the horizon and you can better visualize the aircraft's position in relation to your reference/section line. Additionally, as you approach your reference point, you need to be looking ahead to your next reference point - always look ahead. It's easier to visualize your required bank if you know where you need to go rather than focusing on where you are currently at.

Finally, make sure you don't focus so hard on your reference points that you level your wings and end up "squaring" the sides between each point.

Hope this helps.

 

[VW Pilot]

I had some trouble doing s turns....I picked a lond straight road first then tried to follow the road without wind corrections....when I noticed a drift to one side, I knew where the wind was coming from....Then I knew where to add more bank to my turns VS making them shallow. It is harder to remember where the wind is coming from and easier to just stay on track.....I still have not got it just right. Get hose crabs in there when needed to keep on track...

 

[time builder]

If you look at your diagrams, ground reference maneuvers are generally entered with the wind at your back (just like a traffic pattern, no coincidence they use traffic pattern altitudes also). These maneuvers have a real life application.

I continue this by bringing it up to my students in the traffic pattern when we're downwind turning base, you need a steeper turn, turning final is often a more shallow turn because your ground speed is usually decreasing.

Again, I'd strongly recomend figuring where your winds are coming from before you start the maneuver. If you have a GPS, maintain constant IAS at varying headings and check your ground speed, otherwise, look for blowing dust and other visual cues.