Commercial pilot · ACS CA.V.D
Lazy Eights
A lazy eight is two 180° turns in opposite directions, each a climbing then descending turn, so the nose traces a figure eight on its side across the horizon.
Why this one matters
Lazy eights train coordination at every combination of airspeed and bank, including low speed in a climbing turn where an uncoordinated pull can stall a wing. The habit they build, smooth anticipation and a centered ball while everything changes, is what keeps a pilot in control in a busy, maneuvering approach.
Can’t miss
- •The purpose: coordination at constantly changing airspeed, pitch and bank, and planning ahead through a long maneuver.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- •Clear the area and keep the whole maneuver at or above 1,500 feet AGL; enter clean, at the manufacturer's recommended power and speed, no faster than VA (or VO) for your actual weight.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.D.S2-S3)
- •Reference points at 45°, 90° and 135°, a symmetrical set: maximum pitch up at 45° with about 15° of bank; at 90°, the nose passing through level, about 30° of bank and minimum speed (about 5 to 10 knots above the stall); maximum pitch down at 135° with about 15° of bank; wings level at entry speed and altitude at 180°.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- •Pitch, bank and airspeed change constantly: no straight or level moments except the 180° points.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.D.S5)
- •At each 180° point: altitude ±100 feet of entry, airspeed ±10 knots of entry, and heading ±10° of the reciprocal of the entry heading.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.D.S5)
- •Rudder changes constantly with speed, power and roll direction: rolling right at low speed, adverse yaw adds to P-factor, so a lot of right rudder; rolling left, they partly cancel. Fly the ball in each half.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- •Fly the specified number of symmetrical loops, then resume straight-and-level.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.D.S6)
What you should know
The phases K1 · K4
- Entry: level, at the recommended speed and power, on a heading with prominent horizon references at 45°, 90° and 135° for each 180° turn, and a new set for the turn the other way. Use the wind and references so you don't drift out of the cleared area.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- 0° to 45°: begin a climbing turn, pitch increasing faster than bank; maximum pitch up at 45° with bank about 15°.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- 45° to 90°: pitch decreasing, bank increasing; at 90° the nose crosses the horizon at about 30° of bank and minimum airspeed. There the overbanking tendency may need a little opposite aileron to hold 30°, while you keep rudder against the left-turning tendencies.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- 90° to 135°: descending turn, bank decreasing, maximum pitch down at 135°.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- 135° to 180°: roll out and raise the nose to arrive level at the entry altitude and speed, then begin the turn the other way.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
Coordination and limits K2 · K3 · R7
- Rudder pressure changes continuously with airspeed, power and roll direction; fly the ball rather than a memorized pressure.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Enter at or below VA (lower at lighter weights) and use smooth control pressures; abrupt pulls near the top risk an accelerated stall.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
- Power stays set once established; altitude and airspeed return to entry values at each 180° point if pitch and bank are symmetrical.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
Energy R6
- Each half trades speed for height and back again; a symmetrical lazy eight returns to the same energy at each 180° point.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
- Ending high and slow, or low and fast, means the climb and descent weren't symmetrical; adjust pitch rates on the next loop.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers)
Doing it safely R1 · R2 · R3 · R4 · R5
- 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)
- Keep the whole maneuver at or above 1,500 feet AGL.(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))
On the flight
ACS standards
- About 30° of bank at the steepest point; constant change of pitch, roll rate and airspeed; coordinated throughout.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.D.S4-S5)
- At each 180° point: altitude ±100 feet and airspeed ±10 knots of entry, heading ±10° of the reciprocal of the entry heading; no lower than 1,500 feet AGL.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.V.D.S2, S5)
What your instructor is watching for
Your instructor watches the reference points, a nose that never stops moving, the bank peaking at the 90° point, rudder changing with speed, and altitude, speed and heading back within tolerance at each 180° point.
Scenarios
Decide what you would do first, then see the worked answer.
At the 90° point the nose is still above the horizon.
What does that mean? See the worked answer
The pitch came down too slowly; at 90° the nose should be crossing the horizon at about 30° of bank and minimum speed.
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers
You hold the wings level briefly at the 180° point before reversing.
Is that right? See the worked answer
Only for an instant: wings-level level flight exists only at each 180° point, and the next turn begins immediately. (At 90° the pitch passes through level, but you're banked about 30°.)
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Performance Maneuvers
A stall buffet near the top of a right lazy eight.
What do you do? See the worked answer
Reduce the angle of attack first (relax back pressure, lower the nose), keep the ball centered with whatever rudder it calls for (not automatic right rudder: in a right turn at the top that can skid you at high angle of attack), then abandon the loop, restart, and use a shallower maximum pitch-up.
PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight
Common mistakes
Pausing the pitch or bank.
The maneuver is a continuous change.
Instead: Keep the nose moving through the reference points.
Asymmetrical loops.
Altitude and speed won't return to entry values.
Instead: Mirror the pitch and bank rates in the climb and descent.
Not adjusting rudder.
Slips and skids as speed changes.
Instead: Watch the ball, especially at the low-speed top.
Now train it
Say it out loud, hear it asked, and take the quick check in this lesson’s practice pack. It tracks your shaky spots.
Got it?
When it feels solid, practice lazy eights out loud with our examiner.
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Teaching this? The instructor lesson plan →
Sources
- 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
Study aid, not FAA guidance. Regulations change; check the current text at eCFR and the ACS. Checked against current sources 2026-11-13.