Estimate the bank angle needed for a standard rate turn using true airspeed. This free aviation calculator helps pilots and instrument students better understand standard rate maneuvering.
Enter true airspeed to estimate the exact and rule-of-thumb bank angle needed for a standard rate turn.
This calculator shows both an exact value and the commonly used pilot rule of thumb.
A standard rate turn is a turn in which the aircraft changes heading at 3 degrees per second. That means a 180 degree turn takes about 1 minute and a full 360 degree turn takes about 2 minutes.
Standard rate turns are especially important in instrument flying because they create predictable and controlled heading changes during procedures, holds, and partial panel operations.
| TAS | Approx. Rule-of-Thumb Bank Angle |
|---|---|
| 90 kt | 16° |
| 100 kt | 17° |
| 120 kt | 19° |
| 140 kt | 21° |
| 160 kt | 23° |
A common pilot rule of thumb is bank angle equals true airspeed divided by 10 plus 7.
At higher airspeeds, the aircraft travels farther in the same amount of time, so more bank is required to maintain the same 3 degrees per second turn rate.
No. It is a practical cockpit approximation. This calculator also shows a more exact value based on the standard aviation turn-rate relationship.
This calculator uses true airspeed as requested, though many training references use indicated airspeed approximations in practical cockpit use.