Standard-Rate Turn Bank

A standard-rate turn is a coordinated turn that changes heading at 3° per second, so it takes about 2 minutes to turn all the way around. The faster the aircraft is flying, the greater the bank angle needed to achieve that same turn rate, which is why the rule increases bank with TAS. This formula is a practical pilot shortcut derived from the turn-rate relationship between airspeed, bank angle, and centripetal force, and it is most accurate at typical light-aircraft speeds and in relatively level flight.

Use this when you need a quick estimate of the bank angle required to make a standard-rate turn from a known true airspeed, especially in basic instrument flying or flight planning. It is useful for mental math when you want to anticipate approximate bank before using the attitude indicator.

• Using indicated airspeed instead of true airspeed when applying the rule
• Forgetting that this is only an approximation, especially at very low or very high speeds
• Assuming the same bank angle works for all turn rates instead of only standard-rate turns