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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-turns-around-point-steepest-bank

Flying turns around a point in wind, where is the bank angle steepest?

Headed downwind, where groundspeed is highest.

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  1. Headed downwind ✔
  2. Headed upwind
  3. Exactly crosswind

Why: To keep the same radius over the ground, bank must match groundspeed. Downwind you cover ground fastest, so you need the steepest bank. Upwind you need the shallowest.

Huh, didn't know that: The FAA says ground reference maneuvers should always be entered from a downwind position.

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Why was the downwind leg so stressed? It had to bank on everything.
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References

Answer: Headed downwind. To keep the same radius over the ground, bank must match groundspeed. Downwind you cover ground fastest, so you need the steepest bank. Upwind you need the shallowest.

  1. Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3C, Chapter 7 Ground Reference Maneuvers www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/08_afh_ch7.pdf
    Where groundspeed is the fastest, such as when the airplane is headed downwind, the bank angle should be steepest.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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