Steep turns are a performance maneuver that teaches you to control the airplane near the edges of its envelope. For the private pilot ACS you fly a turn at 45 degrees of bank, holding altitude, airspeed, and bank angle steady all the way around. It looks simple, but it forces you to manage back pressure, power, and load factor at once, which is exactly why it is such a good teacher.
Part of our Flight Maneuvers guide. This page is educational and is not a substitute for instruction from a certificated flight instructor.
What a steep turn is
A steep turn is a sustained, constant-altitude turn at a steeper bank than normal maneuvering. For the private pilot ACS the standard is 45 degrees of bank. The maneuver is usually flown as a 360-degree turn, and often a second 360 in the opposite direction, while holding altitude, airspeed, and the target bank angle within tolerance and rolling out on the entry heading. The point is to demonstrate smooth, coordinated control and good division of attention, inside and outside the cockpit, while the airplane is working harder than usual.
Holding altitude with back pressure and power
As you roll into the bank, part of the wing’s lift is now pulling the airplane sideways into the turn rather than straight up, so vertical lift decreases. To hold altitude you must add back pressure to increase the total lift, and because that added lift and the steeper bank increase drag, you usually add a little power as well. Roll in smoothly, add back pressure as the bank increases, trim or hold the pressure, and lead the rollout so you finish on heading and altitude. As you roll out, you relax the back pressure and reduce the added power so you do not balloon up.
Load factor and the higher stall speed
Steep turns are where load factor becomes real. In a level turn the wings must support more than the airplane’s weight, so load factor rises with bank angle. A 45-degree level turn produces about 1.4 Gs; a 60-degree level turn produces about 2 Gs. Because stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor, the airplane will stall at a higher airspeed in the turn than it would in level flight. That is why you keep the airplane coordinated and the airspeed up, and why a steep turn flown too slowly or pulled too hard can produce an accelerated stall. It is worth reviewing how this connects to stalls and angle of attack.
| Bank angle (level turn) | Approximate load factor |
|---|---|
| 30 degrees | About 1.15 Gs |
| 45 degrees | About 1.4 Gs |
| 50 degrees | About 1.6 Gs |
| 60 degrees | About 2.0 Gs |
The commercial standard
The bank angle is one of the differences between certificate levels. The private pilot steep turn uses 45 degrees of bank, while the commercial pilot standard is 50 degrees. The extra bank means a higher load factor and a higher stall speed, so the commercial maneuver demands even tighter control and attention. Practicing solid 45-degree turns now builds the foundation for that later step.
Putting it together
Steep turns sharpen the back-pressure and power coordination you use everywhere, including on a tight pattern or a go-around. The same feel for load factor and coordinated control carries over to the wind-correction work in ground reference maneuvers. Fly them smoothly, keep the ball centered, and stay within ACS tolerances.
Study tools
What you'll need
The FAA handbooks that teach the maneuvers, all from PilotMall.com.
Frequently asked questions
What bank angle is a private pilot steep turn?
The private pilot ACS standard is 45 degrees of bank, held steady through the turn while you maintain altitude and airspeed within tolerance. The commercial pilot standard is 50 degrees.
Why do you add back pressure in a steep turn?
As bank increases, less of the wing’s lift acts vertically, so you add back pressure to increase total lift and hold altitude. The added lift and bank raise drag, so you usually add a little power as well.
Why does stall speed increase in a steep turn?
A level turn increases load factor, and stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor. So the airplane stalls at a higher airspeed in the turn, which is why you keep it coordinated and the airspeed up.
How much load factor is in a 45-degree turn?
A level 45-degree-bank turn produces about 1.4 Gs, while a level 60-degree-bank turn produces about 2 Gs.