Prepare for: Steep Spiral
A gliding, constant-radius descent around a ground point, like an emergency spiral down to a field.
Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.
What you'll do
- Start high enough for at least three 360° turns and to finish no lower than 1,500 ft AGL.
- Reduce power to idle (clear the engine periodically per your instructor), establish the glide speed.
- Spiral around the point keeping a constant radius, with bank never more than 60°, steepest downwind.
- Roll out toward a specified heading or object within ±10° and airspeed ±10 knots.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B)Task CA.V.B · Steep Spiral (ASEL, ASES)
- Clear the area.
- Select an altitude sufficient to continue through a series of at least three, 360° turns.
- Establish and maintain a steep spiral, not to exceed 60° angle of bank, to maintain a constant radius about a suitable ground reference point.
- Apply wind-drift correction to track a constant radius circle around selected reference point with bank not to exceed 60° a steepest point in turn.
- Divide attention between airplane control, traffic avoidance and the ground track while maintaining coordinated flight.
- Maintain the specified airspeed, ±10 knots and roll out toward an object or specified heading, ±10°, and complete the maneuver no lower than 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL).
Read it in the FAA handbooks
The official chapters behind this page. Each link opens the exact chapter, free on faa.gov. See the full Study Library.
Prepare the night before
- Know your best glide speed.
- Pick a point that's easy to see from above.
Common mistakes
- Letting airspeed build as the nose drops.
- Not adjusting bank for wind, so the circle drifts.
Questions to ask your instructor
- How often should I clear the engine in the descent?
- What's a good reference point here?
Check yourself
Something wrong or out of date? Report an error