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134     U. S. CIVIL AERONAUTICS AUTHORITY

attaining the degree of control sensitivity and coordination that comes with the perfection of technique in the execution of this maneuver, practice should be started with about a 20° bank and as proficiency is attained gradually worked down to above a 5° bank. 

Good, consistent, gentle turns are one of the most difficult of all maneuvers for the student to master because of the constant necessity for fighting all the inherent stability characteristics of the airplane, which are at their maximum during the maintenance of these attitudes, and because of the very slight control pressures required.  A student may have excellent coordination in medium and steep banks but be unable to execute the gentle banks due to his inability to sense these pressures and also due to the much less appreciable indications of control misuse which the ship will give to the senses.

The practice of these turns is very irksome to the student since he usually fails to see any particular value in them.  Probably their sole practical value is the sensitivity and control touch which they develop, and for this they are invaluable. 

Practice on gentle turns should consist of a 180° turn and then reversal for 180°, and so on for the duration of the practice.

The following errors will be found most common:
1. Inability to hold a constant degree of bank.
2. Inability to hold a constant rate of turn.
3. Continuous slipping to a very slight degree.
4. Continuous skidding to a very slight degree.
5. Poor coordination of the elevators.
6. Tendency to over control with all controls.
7. Inability to sense errors.
8. Tension induced by intense concentration in attempts to sense errors.

Time spent in the perfection of these turns, particularly with the smaller degrees of bank, will prove to be well spent, but due to the rapidity with which the student tires and becomes erratic in their execution, such practice should be confined to very short periods.

PRECISION TURNS

These turns are mainly for the development of perfect coordination and accuracy in turning, recovery from turns, and reversal of the turn.  They develop a very fine control touch and analysis of control function.

In the medium and shallow turns, 90° turns will probably be sufficient, but in the steeper ranges of medium banks and in steep banks 180° turns should be made.  These are usually practiced along the down-wind side of the road or the down-wind corner of a road intersection will serve as well as a road.  By starting on the down-wind side and making all turns into the wind, the same position relative to the road will be maintained. 

Smoothness of control use, coordination and accuracy of execution, as the name implies, are the important features of this work. 

In their execution the degree of bank is decided upon before starting the series, and this degree of bank not only maintained continuously during each turn, but throughout the series.  It should be exactly the same in both left and right turns.