358 How Shallow Turns Reduce Safety in the Traffic Pattern with Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro + GA News

Max talks with Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro about the dangers of "timid turns" in traffic patterns, where overly shallow bank angles can lead to overshoots and potentially dangerous skidding turns. Catherine recounts a case where a pilot overshot final approach due to excessive speed and timid turns, underscoring how these habits can increase the risk of stall-spin accidents. They explore the physics of turns, emphasizing that speed impacts turn radius far more than bank angle. A 30-degree bank is both safe and effective, increasing stall speed by only 7% while significantly reducing turn radius compared to a 20-degree bank. Dr. Cavagnaro criticizes overcautious instruction by some CFIs, which perpetuates unsafe patterns. The conversation also addresses circling approaches, where incorrect visual references at lower altitudes often cause overshoots. Both Max and Catherine cite fatal accidents caused by such errors and stress the importance of proper airspeed, situational awareness, and wind evaluation. They recommend practical techniques, such as using GPS and visual landmarks, to maintain safe distances and precise turns. Dr. Cavagnaro encourages pilots to embrace effective strategies for tighter, safer traffic patterns, and avoid the pitfalls of timid turns. If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199 Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899 Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699 My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu Send us your feedback or comments via email If you have a question you'd like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone. News Stories Nightime Highway Landing Leads To Fatal Traffic Crash Alaska Pilot Spreads Holiday Cheer With Turkey Drops Turkey dropped from helicopter Embry-Riddle Research Show Drones Can Reduce Wildlife Strikes At Airports GAMA Releases Third Quarter 2024 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report AOPA's Air Safety Institute Report shows Rise In Accidents, Decline In Fatalities Pilots N Paws Volunteer Dies In Rescue Flight Crash Rotor Flies World's Largest Crop-Spraying Drone in Texas Attempt to Smuggle Cessnas From U.S. Into Russia Ends in Arrest Mentioned on the Show Video of Week: Robinson R-22 flight close to boaters under investigation How Apple iPhone Crash Detection works The Cat That Took Down a Plane at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Catherine Cavagnaro YouTube Channel Ace Aerobatic School Buy Max Trescott's G1000 Book Call 800-247-6553 Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553 Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself . Yes, we'll make a couple of dollars if you do. Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android . Check out Max's Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/ Social Media Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook Follow Max on Instagram Follow Max on Twitter Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium "Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.