SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ifr-standard-rate-turn

How fast does a standard rate turn change your heading?

3 degrees per second, a full circle in 2 minutes.

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  1. 1 degree per second
  2. 3 degrees per second ✔
  3. 6 degrees per second

Why: A standard rate turn is 3 degrees per second, so a full 360 degree turn takes 2 minutes. Many turn indicators are marked 2 MIN TURN to show this, and the needle aligns with a doghouse mark.

Huh, didn't know that: On a 4 MIN TURN instrument, found in faster aircraft, a standard rate turn takes two needle widths of deflection.

The dad joke
Why do pilots love standard rate turns? They never get dizzy from the math.
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References

Answer: 3 degrees per second. A standard rate turn is 3 degrees per second, so a full 360 degree turn takes 2 minutes. Many turn indicators are marked 2 MIN TURN to show this, and the needle aligns with a doghouse mark.

  1. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B) www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/pilots/FAA-H-8083-15B.pdf
    A standard rate turn is 3° per second.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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