PLT248: Forces In A Turn
What code PLT248 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Forces In A Turn before your checkride.
Recall forces acting on aircraft - turns
What this means for your checkride
In a turn the airplane banks so that the horizontal component of lift pulls it around the turn. Because part of the lift is now acting horizontally, the vertical component is reduced and the pilot must add back pressure to hold altitude. Steeper banks require more lift and increase load factor.
Pilots must understand why turns require added back pressure and how bank angle affects stall speed and load.
Students think the rudder turns the airplane, but it is the horizontal component of lift from banking that actually produces the turn.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.