Definition
A maneuver in which the airplane is simultaneously turned through 180° of heading change while being climbed continuously, ending on a reciprocal heading at a higher altitude than where it began. In the chandelle, this is performed as a single, smooth, maximum-performance climbing turn that finishes just above stall speed at the 180° point.
Plain English
You turn the airplane around so it ends up pointing the opposite direction, and you keep climbing the whole way through the turn. You start lower, you finish higher, and you've reversed your heading by the time the turn is done.
Context Anchor
Seen in chandelle training, where the airplane reverses direction while climbing in one smooth maneuver.
Why Pilots Care
It develops precise energy management and aircraft control that transfer directly to other high-performance and emergency maneuvers.
Grounding Statement
Picture the airplane entering straight-and-level flight, turning halfway around the compass, and ending pointed the other way at a higher altitude.
Intuition Check
A 180° climbing turn is not simply any climb with a turn added. In this context, it means a planned half-turn while climbing, with the heading change and altitude gain happening together.
Example Sentence 1
The chandelle is a 180° climbing turn flown at maximum performance, ending just above stall speed on the reciprocal heading.
Example Sentence 2
During the chandelle, proper execution of the 180° climbing turn left the airplane wings-level at the new heading with only a slight buffet remaining.