Mountain Flying

Canyon Turnaround

Never fly up a canyon you can't turn around in. Whether you can comes down to one unforgiving fact: turn radius grows with the square of your true airspeed — and density altitude makes true airspeed higher than the number in the window. Fit your 180° between the walls.

Looking straight down

your 180° canyon wall—

Indicated airspeed90 ktRadius scales with the square of speed — slowing down helps fastDensity altitude8,000 ftTrue airspeed runs ~2% over indicated per 1,000 ft — a hidden penaltyBank angle45°Steeper tightens the turn — but raises stall speed and load

Flaps

True airspeed

Turn diameter

ft needed

Load / stall

g · 0 kt

Fitting the 180°

Turn geometry

The technique in a tight spot: pull the power to idle, pitch to approach speed, deploy full flaps, and roll into a smooth bank toward the wind. Slow speed shrinks the radius, flaps let you fly slow without stalling, and the wind helps carry you around. What you never do is firewall it and haul back — a chandelle in a canyon is how airplanes hit the far wall.