Commercial pilot · ACS CA.V.A · Instructor lesson plan
Steep Turns
Student pack: Train: Steep Turns · Full lesson: Prepare guide
1 · Objective
By the end of this lesson your student can explain steep turns in their own words, apply it in a realistic situation, and fly it to the ACS standard for CA.V.A.
Why it matters for safety: Steep turns live at high load factor, where the stall speed climbs and an uncoordinated pull can stall one wing first. Pilots get there in real life by tightening a turn to avoid traffic or to line up with a runway. Practicing them builds the coordination and attention split that keep a steep bank under control.
2 · Assign before the lesson
Pre-work: the free Train pack, Steep Turns. A coordinated 360° turn each way at about 50° of bank, holding altitude, speed and bank precisely.
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Pack: pilotprep.pro/train/cpl/steep-turns · Full lesson: pilotprep.pro/prepare/cpl/steep-turns
3 · Teach sequence
Key points to land
- Enter at the POH recommended speed or, if none, at or below maneuvering speed (VA), which is lower at lighter weights.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.A.S2; PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Roll into a coordinated 360° turn at about 50° of bank, then the same in the opposite direction.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.A.S3-S4)
- Load factor at 50° is about 1.56 G, raising the stall speed by about 25%: an accelerated stall can happen well above the normal stall speed.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Add back pressure and power as you roll in, generally before 30° of bank, to hold altitude from the start; hold some opposite aileron against the overbanking tendency. If you start descending, reduce the bank first, add power, then raise the nose with gentle back pressure.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- More bank at the same speed means a higher rate of turn and a smaller radius.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Start the rollout half the bank angle (about 25° at 50°) before the entry heading. As the wings level, take off together the back pressure, the extra power and any nose-up trim you added, or you will climb.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- Commercial standard: altitude ±100 feet, airspeed ±10 knots, bank ±5°, rollout on the entry heading ±10°.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.A.S5)
Flying it
- Clear the area, set the entry speed, pick a reference on the horizon for the entry heading.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- Roll smoothly to about 50°, adding back pressure and power as the bank builds, generally before it reaches 30°, to hold altitude. Note the nose position on the horizon and hold it.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- Hold the bank with a little opposite aileron, keep coordinated with rudder, trim if it helps, and check altitude often.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- Lead the rollout by about half the bank angle (about 25°), release back pressure, reduce power and roll off any nose-up trim as you roll level, then reverse into the other direction.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
The aerodynamics
- Load factor rises with bank: about 1.56 G at 50° and 2 G at 60°. Stall speed rises with the square root of load factor: about 25% at 50°, 41% at 60°.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Maneuvering speed (VA) is lower at lighter weights: work out the number before flight, VA at gross × √(actual weight ÷ gross weight). Above VA, a full or abrupt control input can overstress the airplane before it stalls.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Overbanking tendency: in a steep turn the outer wing moves faster and makes more lift, so the bank tends to increase; hold some opposite aileron.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Rate of turn increases and radius decreases with more bank at the same speed; more speed at the same bank widens the turn.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Coordination matters most here: a skid at high load factor can stall the lower wing first and roll the airplane into a spin.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
Doing it safely
- Clear the area with clearing turns before every maneuver, and keep scanning: you're turning, climbing and descending through other airplanes' airspace.(AC 90-48, Pilots' Role in Collision Avoidance)
- The ACS sets no minimum altitude for steep turns, but finish (and any recovery) no lower than about 1,500 feet AGL, as the AFH recommends: enter well above it, away from terrain.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- Divide attention: outside references for attitude and orientation, quick glances inside for altitude and airspeed. Fixating on one instrument is how errors grow.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
- Keep the ball centered. Uncoordinated flight at high angles of attack is the setup for an accelerated or cross-controlled stall and a spin.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Distraction, poor task priorities, lost situational awareness and disorientation: fly the airplane first, re-establish orientation on outside references and the instruments, and abandon the maneuver if you lose it.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
Watch for in the airplane: Your instructor watches the clearing turns, a smooth roll-in with back pressure and power added on time, a steady nose position on the horizon, bank held against overbanking, the ball centered, and a led rollout on heading.
4 · Ask your student
In order: recall, then understanding, then applying it. Move up only when the answer shows it.
Recall · What bank angle and tolerances apply to the commercial steep turn?
A strong answer: About 50° of bank ±5°, altitude ±100 feet, airspeed ±10 knots, and roll out on the entry heading ±10°.
Understand · Why does the stall speed rise in a steep turn?
A strong answer: The wing has to make more lift to hold altitude, so load factor rises; stall speed goes up with the square root of load factor, about 25% at 50° of bank.
Apply · Halfway around, you're 150 feet low and the bank has crept to 60°. What do you do?
A strong answer: Reduce the bank toward 50° first, add power, then regain altitude with gentle back pressure. At 60° the airplane is at 2 G with a stall speed about 41% higher, so pulling just tightens the turn and loads the airplane. Then re-establish 50°.
Scenarios to talk through
You're flying solo, 300 pounds under gross, and the POH lists VA only at maximum weight. What entry speed do you use?
Sound decision: Work it out: published VA × √(actual weight ÷ gross weight). Maneuvering speed decreases with weight. Use the POH recommended entry speed if there is one, and stay below the reduced VA.
In the turn you feel a buffet and the airplane starts to roll further into the bank. What is happening, and what do you do?
Sound decision: An accelerated stall is starting. Release back pressure, then add power once the wings are level, and don't pull to regain altitude too soon, which can cause a secondary stall. Level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder, then recover altitude.
You roll out exactly on the entry heading but 120 feet high. What caused it?
Sound decision: Not releasing back pressure as the bank came off; the lift that held the turn becomes a climb. Release pressure and reduce power as you roll out.
5 · Common student errors
Losing altitude on entry.
Why it matters: Back pressure and power came late.
How to correct it: Start adding them as the bank builds, generally before 30°.
Letting the bank increase.
Why it matters: The overbanking tendency at steep banks.
How to correct it: Hold a little opposite aileron and watch the horizon.
Staring at the altimeter.
Why it matters: Attitude drifts while you read instruments.
How to correct it: Fly the nose on the horizon; glance in, then back out.
6 · Completion standard
- Approximately 50° of bank, ±5°; altitude ±100 feet; airspeed ±10 knots; roll out on the entry heading ±10°.
- Your student answers each "Ask your student" question in their own words, up to the Apply level, without prompting.
- They talk through the scenarios and reach a safe, legal decision, explaining why.
- They complete the pack’s quick check and can say what they flagged.
Area trained? Close out with a practice oral focused on CA.V.A: pilotprep.pro/exam?exam=CPL&focus=CA.V.A
7 · References
- Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers; Ground Reference Maneuvers
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight
- AC 90-48, Pilots' Role in Collision Avoidance
- Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), Area V
- Your airplane's POH/AFM, speeds and limitations
- Airman Certification Standards, task CA.V.A
PilotPrep instructor lesson plan, from the Steep Turns lesson (checked against current FAA sources 2026-11-13). A study and teaching aid, not FAA guidance; teach to your own judgment and the current ACS.