Clearing the Area & Calling "Clear Left", "Clear Right"

The aim recommends 180 degrees of clearing before beginning a maneuver, IIRC. I typically do a 90 left and a 90 right. The full 180 both directions might be a little excessive, but then I don't know how busy your practice areas are. I will also often use turns made to keep the airplane in the practice area as clearing turns...so long as we are actually looking outside and clearing the area.
 
:yeahthat:

A "clearing turn" is a turn that consists of 180 degrees of turning.
i.e. 180 in one direction , 90 left and 90 right, 135 left and 45 right or what ever combination you want, your clearing turn needs to add up to 180 degrees, that's it. As you know, one clearing turn needs to be completed before starting any maneuver.

"Clearing the area" does not have a definition like 'clearing turn' and is a little ambiguous. As some said, they "cleared the area" before rolling base to final, this does not meant they did a 180 degree turn, but visually scanned the area to look for aircraft.
Now, before you do steep turns in the practice area, you may hear your flight instructor remind you to "clear the area", which in this use obviously means to do a "clearing turn".
Context clues will dictate the meaning.
 
I teach it...Required no, but a good habit, so long as it does not just become a false call out...If you say it, do it!
 
My instructor drilled the verbalization part into my head, and I thank him for it. When I say it out loud it lets me know that I have done it.:)

As for clearing turns, I do a 90 degree turn each direction. Also before any major turn I lift each wing and clear each direction.
 
I'm not trying to go against the grain here, but this seems over the top for normal VFR operations. I can understand it as a teaching tool, to make sure you're actually doing it. But when you're in the pattern VFR, your focus should be outside 90% of the time. There's not much to look at inside your normal fixed gear single training airplane, anyway. If I announced every time I looked left or right in the pattern, I'd never shut up.
 
DeltaAVL said:
Sounds like there's a consensus - can't go wrong with verbalizing the clear. Thanks for the quick answers.


Here's another bit of befuddlement for me - clearing TURNS. Before maneuvers, my CFI sometimes makes me do 180 degree turns to the left and right to make sure we're clear (different than just clearing left and right). Is that what you're talking about? Are they even two separate things or am I just confusing myself by trying to break one procedure into two?
Click to expand...
As was mentioned the AIM recommends 180 degrees.

For me it depends on the maneuver being performed how much turning is enough.

If we are doing Chandelles or steep turns for example, I will require a full 360 degree sweep since those maneuvers are quite abrupt and cause your airplane to change direction sharply, and in the case of the chandelle a dramatic altitude change.

If we are doing 8s on pylons I still want to clear the area, but since it is not so abrupt a maneuver I am happy with a turn in each direction to get a look.
 
Douglas said:
A "clearing turn" is a turn that consists of 180 degrees of turning.

i.e. 180 in one direction , 90 left and 90 right, 135 left and 45 right or what ever combination you want, your clearing turn needs to add up to 180 degrees, that's it. As you know, one clearing turn needs to be completed before starting any maneuver..
Click to expand...

What is the source of that definition?

I'm a little fuzzy on where it says that clearing turns are "required" before performing maneuvers. Not just something that says they're a good idea...but something that is regulatory in nature.

Can anyone shed light on that?
 
Hacker15e said:
What is the source of that definition?

I'm a little fuzzy on where it says that clearing turns are "required" before performing maneuvers. Not just something that says they're a good idea...but something that is regulatory in nature.

Can anyone shed light on that?
Click to expand...
Actually, that may not be current anymore. The old AIM used the 180 degree definition, but my current one just says that "Appropriate clearing procedures should precede the execution of all turns including chandelles, lazy eights....and other combination maneuvers" (AIM 4-4-15-f-4).
 
Hacker15e said:
What is the source of that definition?

I'm a little fuzzy on where it says that clearing turns are "required" before performing maneuvers. Not just something that says they're a good idea...but something that is regulatory in nature.

Can anyone shed light on that?
Click to expand...

PTS:
"Typical area of unsatisfactory performance and grounds for disqualification are:
1. Any action or lack of action by the applicant that requires corrective intervention by the examiner to maintain safe flight.
2. Failure to use proper and effective visual scanning techniques to clear the area before and while performing maneuvers.
3. Consistently exceeding tolerances stated in the objectives.
4. Failure to take prompt corrective action when tolerances are exceeded."

Remember that this is a training/check ride question, not a 91 question. There isn't a 91 reg if you are looking for that.
 
Douglas said:
PTS:
"Typical area of unsatisfactory performance and grounds for disqualification are:
1. Any action or lack of action by the applicant that requires corrective intervention by the examiner to maintain safe flight.
2. Failure to use proper and effective visual scanning techniques to clear the area before and while performing maneuvers.
3. Consistently exceeding tolerances stated in the objectives.
4. Failure to take prompt corrective action when tolerances are exceeded."

Remember that this is a training/check ride question, not a 91 question. There isn't a 91 reg if you are looking for that.
Click to expand...


So....still nothing that says I have to do a "clearing turn".
 
give me more information with your statement.
Yes, for a check ride. Still something
No, if you are on a joy ride. Still nothing

Try doing a check ride where you refuse to do clearing turns. If you think you won't fail you are off your rocker. You have to do a clearing turn to keep from failing. If you "have to" do anything to pass, then it is a requirement to pass, plain and simple.
The requirement of doing clearing turns on a check ride is not open for discussion.
 
it doesn't say you have to do a "clearing turn" however the judge of what is "proper and effective" is the designated examiner and many DPEs are of the opinion that a clearing turn is the only proper and effective visual scanning technique. I told my students to do one on the checkride when normally we rarely did a full "clearing turn" in practice so long as we could clear the area visually, for this reason. YMMV.
 
I think what Hacker15e is looking for is something actually on paper saying you need to do a clearing turn. It may be one of those things that is a good idea, and everyone thinks is a regulation but really isn't. In my eyes, it's implied in "proper and effective visual scanning techniques".
 
So the answer is, no...there is nothing saying you have to perform a clearing turn.

The PTS directs you to clear before you turn, but doesn't specify how to do it. In fact, it uses specific language (e.g. "clearing techniques") that indicates there is more than one way to do it.

This is yet another area where people blur the line between "technique" and "procedure".
 
Well, I agree with everyone else, whether you fly, taxi or driving. :) However, I agree with the idea of "actually" look before you said "Clear right or left."

When I used to instruct, I taught my students that idea because:

1. There are 3 or 4 different airplanes in practice area.
2. Keep them focus
3. noise abatement

just my 0.02
 
The answer is yes, and don't be difficult for the sake of being difficult.
How else are you going to clear the area? Cameras? ESP?

Again, try not doing a clearing turn and report back to us. You are really doing students a disservice if you tell them that it is not required.
 
Hacker15e said:
So the answer is, no...there is nothing saying you have to perform a clearing turn.

The PTS directs you to clear before you turn, but doesn't specify how to do it. In fact, it uses specific language (e.g. "clearing techniques") that indicates there is more than one way to do it.

This is yet another area where people blur the line between "technique" and "procedure".
Click to expand...

It is a very blurry line, as there are few things that are "procedure" in general aviation. The AF is very specific about how they want us to do just about everything. In GA, not so much so, therefore you'll find lots of techniques and 'techcedures'.
 
Roger said:
The old AIM used the 180 degree definition
Click to expand...

I just looked in a 2000 AIM and it's the same as now. No mention of 180 degrees.

The Airplane Flying Handbook says this:
There are many different types of clearing procedures. Most are centered around the use of clearing turns. The essential idea of the clearing turn is to be certain that the next maneuver is not going to proceed into another airplane’s flightpath. Some pilot training programs have hard and fast rules, such as requiring two 90° turns in opposite directions before executing any training maneuver. Other types of clearing procedures may be developed by individual flight instructors.
​
The Rotocraft Flying Handbook says this:
Prior to initiating a steep turn, or any other flight maneuver, first complete a clearing turn to check the area for traffic. To accomplish this, you may execute either one 180° turn or two 90° turns in opposite directions.
​
 
Yeah, the Army made it simple as well. In our Aircrew Training Manual (Like a PTS) it says:

"The pilot on the controls will remain focused primarily outside the aircraft. He will announce and clear each turn, climb, and decent."

Makes it simple.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top