Calculating standard rate turns...

Timbuff10

Timbuff10

Well-Known Member
I had always just used the TC before but I learned a little trick today that seems to make sense.

Take the first two digits of your airspeed (or just the first digit if you are under 100kts) and add 5 to it. That is your bank angle to get a std rate turn.

120 kts, add 12+5=17 degrees of bank gives you a standard rate turn.

90 kts, add 9+5=14 degrees of bank gives you a standard rate turn.

I was told it works in any sort of airplane but I am not so sure if 30 degrees of bank will give you a standard rate turn in a airliner doing 250 kts.

Anyone ever heard of this?
 
That's what we were taught, up to 25 degrees of bank.

We really don't use standard rate turns on jets because sometimes we're more worried about maneuvering speed in reference to configuration.
 
I think I remember that they had that trick in the Jepp Instrument/Commercial Manual, but I might be mistaken. I think it said to take 10% of your TAS plus 5, which is exactly what you said, minus the semantics.
 
What happened to looking at the turn coordinator? Isn't ball in the middle and wing on the hash mark a standard rate turn? Then look back at the AI and that's your bank for that given airspeed. I suppose if you want an exact number you'd have to use a formula like posted above...
 
gredenko said:
Isn't ball in the middle and wing on the hash mark a standard rate turn? Then look back at the AI and that's your bank for that given airspeed. I suppose if you want an exact number you'd have to use a formula like posted above...
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The given bank angle for a standard rate turn will vary with true airspeed.
 
The purpose of this is to help you use control+performance to set the attitude for standard rate, then transition to primary and supporting once established in the turn.
 
meritflyer said:
The given bank angle for a standard rate turn will vary with true airspeed.
Click to expand...

I know, but I always thought that the turn coordinator accounted for that. The wings on the turn coordinator don't give you an exact bank angle, they just tell you where a standard rate turn is. Wikipedia agrees with me (from "turn coordinator"):

"...There is another set of tick marks below the level pair. When the symbolic aircraft is tilted so as to align with one of the tick marks, the aircraft is said to be turning at standard rate of turn, which is 3 degrees of heading change per second. This is often marked on the face plate of the instrument as '2 minutes', since it takes two minutes to complete a 360° heading change when turning at 3°/s."

Like previously posted, once the wings are on the tick mark, return your scan to the AI and you're set.
 
gredenko said:
I know, but I always thought that the turn coordinator accounted for that.
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It does, but the idea is that you set the approximate bank angle on the attitude indicator first (control), then check the TC to verify that your desired results are achieved (performance). Having an idea of what the required bank angle is helpful.
 
Cool...never once have I heard of this. Then again, I haven't started an official IA ground school yet, lol.

Thanks Tim.
 
I like to just use the TC as it makes it easier than doing math. Only problem is Doug says some planes don't have that luxery. I am yet to encounter one though.
 
Timbuff10 said:
I like to just use the TC as it makes it easier than doing math. Only problem is Doug says some planes don't have that luxery. I am yet to encounter one though.
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You don't need to do math. If you fly approaches at, say, 90 knots, just know that you're looking for a 14 degree bank. If you're not timing your turns, there's not much need to be that hung up on standard rate turns.
 
tgrayson said:
You don't need to do math. If you fly approaches at, say, 90 knots, just know that you're looking for a 14 degree bank. If you're not timing your turns, there's not much need to be that hung up on standard rate turns.
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Good to know what a standard rate turn is if someone else is timing your turns, also. Like during no gyro vectors to an ASR or PAR. Also not a bad idea to have a bank angle for HALF-Standard rate turns, since that's what you should do once you are ON final.
 
fish314 said:
Good to know what a standard rate turn is if someone else is timing your turns, also. Like during no gyro vectors to an ASR or PAR.
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<<Good to know what a standard rate turn is if someone else is timing your turns, also. Like during no gyro vectors to an ASR or PAR. >>

Are controllers timing your turns? I'd expect they're using ground track.
 
tgrayson said:
<<Good to know what a standard rate turn is if someone else is timing your turns, also. Like during no gyro vectors to an ASR or PAR. >>

Are controllers timing your turns? I'd expect they're using ground track.
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Good question. I always figured they were using timing since they'd have to wait for the next radar sweep to get an updated position, if they were just using ground track. I figured they'd just time it out at 3 degrees per second (or a degree and a half per second on final) if they were trying to turn you.

Any ATC'ers watching this thread?
 
Didn't AOPA or some other group advocate replacing turn coordinators with an electric-powered AI? I know I'd rather have two AI's.
 
Yeah, I can't really think where I would use this too much, if nothing else, I just thought it was kinda neat. In reality I have my turn coordinator and I know that somewhere less than 20 degrees of bank will work.

If I am flying a jet or something that doesn't have it then I will worry about putting this to practical use.
 
In the Cirrus when you lose the PFD you lose your TC so calculating this becomes important.

Also you can replace you TC for a electric AI
 
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