Airman Certification Standards
ACS CA.V.B
Steep Spiral (ASEL, ASES)
Knowledge
Relationship to emergency landing procedures.
Maintaining a constant radius about a point.
Effects of wind on ground track and relation to a ground reference.
Risk Management
Division of attention between aircraft control and orientation.
Collision hazards.
Low altitude maneuvering, including stall, spin, or controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
Uncoordinated flight.
Effects of wind.
Airframe or airspeed limitations.
Skill
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).
Retrieved from ecfr.gov on July 17, 2026.