Practicing the Impossible Turn

Microsoft Flight Simulator can be used to try a 700-foot turn back at engine failure as much as you want with risk only to your pride.

Peter James

Tuesday, May 02, 2023 at 01:35 PM ET

Verified

Executing the "impossible turn," or turn back to the runway if your engine quits, in a sim is an exercise in mental awareness and "big picture” thinking. [Image courtesy: Peter James]

Key Takeaways:

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS) is a valuable tool for pilots to practice critical emergency landing scenarios, enhancing mental awareness and problem-solving skills.
The author demonstrates three emergency landing types: a low-altitude "impossible turn" back to the runway, a landing on a highway, and a forced landing in an open field.
For effective emergency training in MSFS, it is recommended to disable crash modeling and consider add-ons for a more realistic simulation experience.

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As an experienced CFII (certified flight instructor instrument) in the early days of my career, and as a reader of FLYING, we all know about the “impossible turn” or turn back to the runway if your engine quits at exactly the wrong time.

The safety altitude most instructors teach is to never turn around if less than 1,000 feet above the airport elevation. It is always better to land straight ahead, or at the most a few degrees either left or right to avoid the hardest objects in your path.