How do I make a coordinated turn in a flight simulator?

To make a coordinated turn in a fixed-wing flight simulator, use aileron to bank, rudder to cancel adverse yaw and, for a level turn, elevator back-pressure to maintain altitude. Roll and rudder together, centre both at the chosen bank, then keep the slip/skid ball centred with small pitch and power corrections.

This Aviation & Real-World Flying answer covers conventional fixed-wing aircraft. The technique applies in Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, FSX and Prepar3D. Slip and skid behaviour depends on the aircraft, flight model and assistance settings, not on whether a PC simulator was installed through Steam.

What is a coordinated turn in aviation?

A coordinated turn is a banked turn in which the aircraft has no unwanted lateral slip or skid. The lift vector is tilted, its horizontal component curves the flight path, and the rudder keeps the aircraft aligned with that path. The slip/skid indicator remains centred.

Ailerons establish the bank, but their unequal lift and drag can produce adverse yaw, initially yawing the nose away from the intended roll. Rudder in the direction of the roll counters this effect. As the bank settles, the ailerons and most of the rudder input return towards neutral.

For a level turn, back-pressure increases angle of attack so the vertical component of lift still supports the aircraft. A steeper bank may also require additional power to prevent airspeed from decaying. Our breakdown of the separate jobs of rudder and aileron explains why neither control should be treated as a substitute for the other.

Slip, skid and coordinated flight compared

The position of the slip/skid ball identifies whether bank and yaw are correctly matched.

A slip is not always an error: pilots deliberately use forward slips and cross-controlled sideslips for specific approach and crosswind tasks. A skid is not normal turning technique. Excessive inside rudder in a slow, low-altitude turn is particularly dangerous because a stall can develop into a spin.

How to turn in a flight simulator: coordinated turn steps

The basic sequence is to stabilise, roll with coordinated rudder, capture the bank, maintain altitude and then reverse the control sequence for rollout.

1. Stabilise the aircraft. Use a familiar trainer in calm conditions with ample height. Establish straight-and-level flight at a steady speed, trim away sustained pitch pressure and select an outside reference or target heading.
2. Roll into the turn. Move the stick or yoke smoothly towards the turn and apply rudder on the same side: left aileron with left pedal, or right aileron with right pedal. The movements are coordinated but not equal; a rapid roll generally needs more rudder than a gentle one.
3. Capture the bank. As you approach about 20–30 degrees of bank, ease the aileron towards neutral and relax most of the roll-in rudder. Use small corrections rather than holding the original control displacement.
4. Maintain level flight. Add measured back-pressure as the bank develops. Scan the horizon, altitude, airspeed and slip/skid indication. If speed keeps falling, reduce the bank or add appropriate power rather than pulling harder.
5. Keep the ball centred. Correct displacement with small rudder pressures towards the ball. Do not stare at it; include it in the scan while controlling attitude primarily with outside references or the attitude indicator.
6. Roll out on heading. In a light trainer, beginning the rollout roughly half the bank angle before the target heading is a useful starting estimate. Apply opposite aileron and coordinated rudder, relax the back-pressure as the wings level, then neutralise the controls.

Do I keep rudder pressed throughout the turn?

No; most rudder is normally required during roll-in and rollout, when the ailerons are producing adverse yaw. Once a steady bank is established, a well-trimmed aircraft often needs little rudder, although propeller effects, airframe design, turbulence and power setting can leave a small residual requirement.

A mistake we see constantly is holding inside pedal simply because the aircraft is still turning. That usually creates a skid. Let the ball, rather than a memorised pedal position, tell you how much rudder the particular aircraft needs.

How does “step on the ball” work in aviation?

“Step on the ball” means applying gentle rudder pressure on the same side as the displaced slip/skid ball.

• Ball left: press the left rudder pedal.
• Ball right: press the right rudder pedal.
• Ball centred: maintain the balance; do not add rudder without a reason.

The word step means pressure, not full pedal travel. Make a small correction, observe the response and reduce the pressure as the ball returns. Large alternating inputs make the aircraft fishtail and cause the indication to swing from side to side.

A desktop simulator cannot reproduce the sideways acceleration felt through the seat in a real aircraft, so the indicator matters more than physical sensation. Our comparison of simulator rudder cues and real-aircraft feedback explains which habits transfer and where a home setup differs.

Use an analogue rudder axis when possible: pedals offer the best independent control, while a twist grip or suitable controller axis can still work. Keyboard buttons are coarse because they make gradual pressure difficult. For binding, calibration and sensitivity guidance, see our rudder-axis setup and coordination guide.

What does the turn coordinator show?

The miniature aeroplane on a turn coordinator indicates roll and turn rate, while the ball underneath shows coordination. It is not a bank-angle indicator, and the miniature aeroplane cannot tell you by itself whether the turn is slipping or skidding.

On a glass cockpit, the ball may be replaced by a small bar, brick or trapezoid beneath the roll pointer. Its appearance varies, but the correction remains the same: apply rudder towards the displaced marker.

Is a pedal turn the same as a coordinated turn?

No; in a conventional fixed-wing aircraft, pressing a rudder pedal alone produces yaw rather than a properly banked turn. Dihedral may cause the aircraft to roll after yaw is introduced, but the resulting manoeuvre is not necessarily coordinated.

The term pedal turn is more commonly associated with yawing a helicopter in a hover or at low forward speed. Rudder pedals can also steer some aeroplanes while taxiing through nosewheel, tailwheel or brake systems. Neither action is the same as a coordinated fixed-wing turn in flight.

What bank angle should I use for a coordinated turn?

Use about 20–30 degrees of bank when learning coordinated turns in a light training aircraft. This gives a clear turn response without the pitch, power and load-factor demands of a steep turn.

• Shallow bank: useful for small heading corrections, but wind and turbulence may make the turn rate harder to judge.
• 20–30 degrees: a practical range for basic training and many visual traffic-pattern turns.
• Standard-rate instrument turn: use the turn-rate marks because the required bank changes with true airspeed.
• More than 30 degrees: produces a tighter, faster turn but requires progressively more lift and pitch control to remain level.

At 60 degrees of bank in a level turn, load factor is about 2g and stall speed is roughly 1.41 times the unaccelerated value. That is why a steep bank combined with low airspeed and excessive back-pressure can produce an accelerated stall.

What is the coordinated-turn model?

The basic coordinated-turn model predicts turn rate and radius from bank angle and true airspeed, assuming steady, level flight with no sideslip.

Using consistent units, turn rate is ω = g × tan(φ) / V, and turn radius is R = V² / [g × tan(φ)]. Here, φ is bank angle, V is true airspeed and g is gravitational acceleration. The turn rate ω is in radians per second when SI units are used.

The model explains two practical results: more bank tightens the turn, while more airspeed widens it at the same bank. A standard-rate turn changes heading at 3 degrees per second, but its required bank therefore rises with airspeed.

This simplified model excludes roll-in, rollout, changing speed, climbs, descents and sideslip. Wind does not directly uncentre the ball; it changes the path over the ground. In wind, a coordinated constant-bank turn may be circular relative to the surrounding air but not relative to the ground.

Why is my aircraft not making a coordinated turn?

Poor turn coordination usually comes from incorrect rudder timing, excessive control movement, a steepening bank or an input configuration that prevents fine pedal control.

If the ball remains perfectly centred regardless of your inputs, an auto-rudder or coordination assistance setting may be active. Such assistance is useful for accessibility, but it should be disabled when practising manual coordination because it can mask mistakes or fight physical pedal inputs.

Check that only the intended device controls the rudder, that the axis returns cleanly to centre and that both directions respond progressively. Use only enough dead zone to remove unwanted jitter; an excessive dead zone creates a delayed response followed by a sudden yaw.

How should I practise turn coordination?

Practise repeated 90- and 180-degree turns in both directions at a moderate bank, judging each one by heading, altitude, airspeed and ball position. Start in calm weather with a familiar trainer, then vary roll rate, power and airspeed so that you learn to read the aircraft rather than memorise one pedal displacement.

The next useful exercise is a circuit, where roll-in and rollout timing matter as much as the steady turn. Our simulator traffic-pattern procedure applies coordinated turns to the crosswind, downwind, base and final legs without forcing the nose around with rudder.