Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

1 Answers

S turns

Asked by: 2808 views Aerodynamics, General Aviation

S turns and other ground reference maneuvers do we set clean configuration? If so, why?

What does clean configuration mean?

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.

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    cabemonroe on May 21, 2016

    These maneuvers are performed in the “clean” configuration with the flaps and landing gear retracted. The reason for this is that the ground reference maneuvers are intended to help the pilot develop the skills to compensate for the effects of wind.
    With the airplane in a “dirty configuration” flaps and landing gear extended, the only changes in the maneuvers would be your ground speed, which would still require you compensate for the effects of the wind.
    Therefor it easier and more practical to perform the maneuvers in the “clean” configuration since the purpose of the maneuvers is correcting for wind regardless of airplane configuration.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 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.