Teaching and Learning Flying - Private Pilot, Single-Engine Airplane

Rectangular Course

Practice maneuver in which the ground track of the airplane is equidistant from all sides of a selected rectangular area on the ground

Rectangular ground reference selected or an adjacent area should be suitable for an emergency landing

Private Pilot PTS, VIII, A
• Explain wind drift correction; relationship to traffic patterns
• Select suitable reference area
• Enter at desired distance and 600 to 1,000 feet AGL
• Division of attention, coordinated flight
• Altitude +100 feet
• Airspeed +10 kts
• Bank angle <45°
• Reverse course, as directed

• To develop division of attention between the flightpath and ground references, while controlling the airplane and watching for other aircraft
• To develop recognition of drift toward or away from a line parallel to the intended ground track

• Discuss definition, safety factors, tolerances, objectives, common errors and other elements of the rectangular course
• How to select a suitable altitude
  • Determine approximate ground elevation from sectional chart
  • Add 800 feet (600 to 1000)
• How to select a suitable ground reference with consideration given to emergency landing area
  • Approx 1mile x 1mile rectangle
  • Adjacent emergency landing area
• Orientation, division of attention, and planning
• Configuration and airspeed prior to entry
• Relationship of rectangular course to an airport traffic pattern
• Wind drift correction
  • Crab just enough to compensate
  • In turns, bank angle must vary with groundspeed
• How to maintain desired altitude, airspeed, and distance from ground reference boundaries
  • SLF and level turns (<45° max)
  • Approx ¼ to ½ mile from boundary
  • Start turns when abeam the corners
• Timing of turn entries and rollouts
  Downwind to crosswind
  Bank steep to medium; turn greater than 90°
  Crosswind to upwind
  Bank medium to shallow; less than 90°
  Upwind to crosswind
  Bank shallow to medium; less than 90°
  Crosswind to downwind
  Bank medium to steep; greater than 90°
• Coordination of flight controls
• Demonstrate a rectangular course in flight
• Coach student practice (left and right courses)
• Critique student performance

• Poor planning, orientation, or division of attention
• Uncoordinated flight control application
• Improper correction for wind drift
• Failure to maintain selected altitude or airspeed
• Selection of ground reference where there is no suitable emergency landing area within gliding distance

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