Ground school lesson
Ground reference maneuvers
Fly the same bank angle all the way around a turn in any real wind, and your path over the ground stops being a circle. These three maneuvers teach you to correct for that continuously.
What you will be able to do
- Explain why bank angle has to vary through a turn in wind to hold a constant ground track.
- Fly a rectangular course, S-turns and turns around a point within FAA tolerances.
- Choose a ground reference and altitude that respects wind direction and emergency landing options.
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Step 1 of 2
Why wind ruins a constant bank angle
A turn flown at one fixed bank angle traces a circle only in still air. Add wind, and the same bank angle drifts you downwind on one side of the turn and holds you back on the other. To trace an actual circle, or a straight line, or a rectangle over the ground, the bank angle has to change constantly: steeper where the wind is pushing the ground track wide, shallower where it is pulling it tight.
The ground track stays a constant circle only if the bank angle keeps changing with position relative to the wind. -
Step 2 of 2
Three maneuvers, one underlying skill
Maneuver Reference What it drills Rectangular course A field or block of similar shape Wind correction on four straight legs and four turns, like a traffic pattern without the runway S-turns A straight reference line, road or fence Continuously varying bank angle across the line, constant radius on each side Turns around a point A single ground reference point Continuously varying bank angle through a full circle around one fixed point Common to all three
- No lower than 600 feet above the ground.
- Hold entry altitude, ±100 feet, and airspeed, ±10 knots.
- Choose the reference based on wind direction and available emergency landing areas, not convenience.
Check yourself
3 questions. Pick an answer to see whether it is right and why.
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Why does the bank angle need to change through a ground reference maneuver in wind?
A fixed bank angle only traces a circle in still air. Wind requires a steeper bank downwind and a shallower one upwind to hold the same ground track.
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What should you consider when choosing the ground reference for these maneuvers?
The reference and the pattern flown around it should account for the wind and for where you could land if the engine quit.
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What is the minimum altitude for ground reference maneuvers?
The FAA standard for these maneuvers sets 600 feet above the ground as the floor.
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FAA Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards, Gyroplane, Area of Operation VI (public domain).