Why is it necessary to increase back elevator pressure to maintain altitude during a turn?

Why is it necessary to increase back elevator pressure to maintain altitude during a turn?

• A. To compensate for the loss of the vertical component of lift.
• B. To decrease angle of attack.
• C. To increase airspeed.
• D. To reduce drag.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that when you bank to turn, the lift vector tilts, so the vertical component of lift decreases while weight stays the same. To keep from losing altitude, you must increase overall lift to match the weight, which means raising the angle of attack. Applying back elevator pressure raises the nose and increases the angle of attack, boosting lift enough to compensate for the reduced vertical component. While you could gain lift by going faster, the direct action described is increasing lift through pitch, not simply changing speed. Decreasing angle of attack would reduce lift and worsen altitude control.

The key idea is that when you bank to turn, the lift vector tilts, so the vertical component of lift decreases while weight stays the same. To keep from losing altitude, you must increase overall lift to match the weight, which means raising the angle of attack. Applying back elevator pressure raises the nose and increases the angle of attack, boosting lift enough to compensate for the reduced vertical component. While you could gain lift by going faster, the direct action described is increasing lift through pitch, not simply changing speed. Decreasing angle of attack would reduce lift and worsen altitude control.