What is the biggest bank angle on commercial flights with people on big jets?

Question

What is the biggest bank angle on commercial flights with people on big jets?

Answer 1

The biggest bank angle civil airliners did was prbly the 47° right turn on approach to the old Kai Tak Hong Kong airport. Planes headed to a checkerboard on a hill, and turned 47° to the right to line up with runway 13 less then 2 mi. away.

Answer 2

Bank angles greater than thirty degrees are considered aerobatic maneuvers. Wanna bust an ATP check in a heart beat? [Former FAA designated ATP examiner here] Just exceed thirty degrees anytime during the check other than in the steep turn maneuver, 45 degrees, and emergency descent, even then more than thirty degrees is ridiculous, or an unusual attitude recovery. But the real answer to your question, especially for us executive pilots, is not to spill the boss' coffee.

Oh and the old Hong Kong LDA charlie approach to the checkerboard? If you need more than thirty degrees to get lined up with the runway you have really fvcked up because by then you are less than seven hundred feet above the threshold. Shot that approach numerous times and I've no clue where forty seven degrees came from but if you want to yank and bank that much, that low and that slow then be my guest. Me? Pitch to the go around comand bars while adding go around thrust, flaps approach, positive rate of climb, gear up and we're outta here for another try. Maybe give it to the copilot this time since I screwed it up big time and he is sitting on the right side of the airplane with a better view of the runway. Boss won't be happy about my p**s poor planing of the turn to final but he'll still be alive. I have always felt that I get paid this big salary not for the landings that I make, but for the ones I chose not to make.

Answer 3

When maintaining a standard rate of turn, bank angle increases with speed.  At high speeds (e.g. high altitudes) this surpasses 30 degrees, which is not what you want to do in real thin air (think load factor) as well as for passenger comfort.  Most autopilots have a "half-bank" feature for this purpose, that can be selected or which activates automatically at a certain altitude.

That said, when hand flying a visual approach, it's whatever it takes.  Though passenger comfort is always in mind.

Answer 4

Generally speaking, the angle of bank used it that which is required to obtain a "standard rate of turn", and that depends on the speed of the aircraft. In a large jet, a standard rate turn takes 4 minutes to complete a 360 degree circle. The maximum bank they would ever use (unless in an emergency) is 45 degrees, but for passenger comfort almost all turns are accomplished at a 30 degree bank or less.

Answer 5

reg's state 30%

Answer 6

. The bank angle ranges from 0 to about 30 degrees under normal circumstances. Larger bank angles are used in aerobatics or air combat. Glider pilots will commonly use bank angles of up to 45 to 60 degrees.

Answer 7

We usually didn't think of it in those terms, but it works out to about 20 degrees, with 30 degrees a workable option when needed.  You do whatever you have to do, and try to keep it smooth and well coordinated.  If it feels okay in the seat of your pants in the left front seat, then it should feel okay to the passengers.

Answer 8

Large aircraft don't use standard rate turns.  They are limited to 30 degrees, or 25 if using the flight director.  The rate of turn would then depend on your airspeed, if the angle of bank is fixed.  So, if you need a tighter turn, simply slow down.

Answer 9

well, i guess those "idiots" that land at Ohare just never got the notam.

I dont know how many times, ive gotten the E-ticket ride to a cross wind landing.  I could see my car in the parking lot.....shxxx, left the lights on again.

Really,  in congested traffic, this "rule" gets busted a lot.  30 degrees?  wow, it sure looked like 60.