AFOQT Practice Test

What must a pilot do after performing a steep turn to return to level flight?

1. Increase power significantly

2. Input opposite pressure on the controls

3. Reduce speed gradually

4. Pitch down to regain attitude

The correct answer is: Input opposite pressure on the controls

After performing a steep turn, a pilot must input opposite pressure on the controls to return to level flight. This action is necessary because during a steep turn, the aircraft banks significantly, and the lift vector tilts towards the direction of the turn. To return to a level attitude, the pilot must counteract the bank by applying opposite aileron input, which helps to raise the wing that has been lowered during the turn. This maneuver is crucial for maintaining control and ensuring a smooth transition back to straight and level flight. Simply increasing power, reducing speed, or pitching down would not effectively address the need to correct the aircraft’s bank angle. Instead, those actions could potentially result in an unsafe flight characteristic or loss of altitude. Opposite pressure on the controls is the essential response to correct the aircraft’s attitude after completing a steep turn.