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Slipping Turns

Slipping turns are taught to further develop the skill of manoeuvring the aircraft while maintaining a sideslip. A slipping turn is a particularly effective manoeuvre for increasing the sink rate dramatically when attempting to land on a high final. Modern composite gliders often do not exhibit high sink rates during a forward slip but may sink adequately with a slipping turn. Pilots are often left with the dilemma of needing more drag than the spoilers or flaps alone can generate. A good remedy is the slipping turn, as you get the benefit of both increased drag from the slip, and higher sink rate from the extra bank used in the turn. The outline for this exercise is:

  1. Student checked on performance until in free-flight.
  2. Instructor coaches the student into a sideslip and then coaches turning manoeuvres up to 30-degree bank angles while in the sideslip.
  3. Students showing good control and also do a slipping turn from downwind onto base leg in the circuit.
  4. On subsequent flights the sideslip can be done with more yaw to show the high sink rates that are possible. The slipping turns can be extended down to the turn from base leg onto final.

The introduction to this manoeuvre is done initially when using sideslip on the landing approach, and
increasing or decreasing the bank to alter the ground heading. This is a very useful skill that shows
control of both the flight path and the slip together. Before doing a full slipping turn in the circuit the
manoeuvre should be practised at altitude to get used to attitude and show the difference between prospin and slipping turn yawing. Students should be able to do a 180-degree turn with a full slip at altitude before attempting this manoeuvre in the circuit. Circuit practice should start with the turn from downwind onto base leg and once this is mastered the turn from base leg onto final can be tried as well.  If one flies into the wind on the base leg, some added thinking is required once we turn on to final as the direction of the slip will have to be changed so that the into wind wing is down. Mastery of the slipping turn in the circuit is a good indication that the student really understands the effects of the controls.