The one minute turn that can save your life

Question:

As part of the Private Pilot training there is a minimum of 3 hours of
hood/instrument training required.

One of the things which seems to be always taught (it was the way I was
taught and the way I am instructing) is the one minute standard rate turn
which is to be used by a Private Pilot if he/she gets theirselves into some
IMC, inadvertently.

No matter who I ask, I get the same technique (which is the way I was
trained during my PPL training); standard rate turn, one minute (3 degrees
per second times 60 equals 180 degrees). Aside from the scenario where
there is a vacuum system failure (where you lose the DG, for example), what
is so wrong with teaching them to look at the bottom of the heading
indicator and standard rate turn to that value? The answers I get when I
ask this question, vary from, 'I was just taught to use time', 'the pilot is
likely to forget the 180 degree heading they were supposed to roll out on',
etc...

I teach, by timing, just as I was taught, but still haven't got a compelling
answer as to why not have them look at the 'bottom' of the DG and turn to
that heading (standard rate)? For those I've spoken to that have said,
"they are more likely to forget the heading than mess up the time", I can
see that they could just as easily lose track of the time as they could the
clock.

Anyone have any 'whys' on this one?

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Good Flights!

Cecil E. Chapman
CFI-A, CP-ASEL-IA

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
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