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 presented as a valuable tool for pilots to safely practice critical emergency maneuvers like the "impossible turn" (even from 700 feet AGL) and various off-field landings.
The author demonstrates successful simulated engine-out landings, including returning to the runway from a low altitude and executing forced landings on highways and cultivated fields.
For effective training, the article emphasizes configuring the simulator by disabling crash modeling and using realism add-ons to enhance the experience for developing mental awareness and quick problem-solving skills.

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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.