Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

2 Answers

When to start the procedure turn.

Asked by: 3490 views ,
Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Instrument Rating

I have always used and taught a general "proceed outbound for 2 minutes before beginning the procedure turn course reversal...". This stays within 10nm and far enough out for time inbound for checklist, descent, stabilized on loc..... The Question: When having a GPS with the approach loaded (just for guidance and not for navigation...), it depicts the procedure turn and recommends (by pink line for next leg) to start the proc turn before 2 minutes. Both are valid places to start, but should I be having students take the guidance of the GPS or continue with the "use 2 minutes and ignore the GPS recommendation as it scrolls off screen"? I like 2min because it scales for 90% of the time when no installed GPS.

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

2 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Sep 02, 2015

    Whatever you want. The magenta line is guidance only.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Andy on Sep 15, 2015

    Do whatever you want. 2 minutes is arbitrary. 2 minutes in a C172 is less distance than than 2 minutes in an F16. Reverse course to the clear side whenever you are comfortable in whatever method suits you, fly the barb, 80/260, etc. and stay within 10 miles.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.