The one minute turn that can save your life

"Cecil Chapman" wrote in message
...
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.


This may be a hold over to the old days when a common VFR panel was a turn
and bank and a mag compass. In this case using the compass while turning is
not good because of the known error caused by being banked.

Danny Deger

On Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:43:54 -0600, "Danny Deger"
wrote:


This may be a hold over to the old days when a common VFR panel was a turn
and bank and a mag compass. In this case using the compass while turning is
not good because of the known error caused by being banked.

+1
Needle, ball, and airspeed.

Don

Danny Deger wrote:

This may be a hold over to the old days when a common VFR panel was a turn
and bank and a mag compass. In this case using the compass while turning is
not good because of the known error caused by being banked.

DG's are not required for VFR flight.

Even the partial panel IFR training typically use the needle to make
timed turns to heading. Once you settle down you can verify with
the mag compass you're on the heading you want.

On Sat, 03 Feb 2007 19:03:23 -0500, Ron Natalie
wrote:
Even the partial panel IFR training typically use the needle to make
timed turns to heading. Once you settle down you can verify with
the mag compass you're on the heading you want.

When I learned IFR the instructor kept the AH covered until the check
ride. I still prefer the TC to the AH but I notice that the new planes
with the glass panels have a back up AH but no TC.