Definition
A pair of 90-degree turns, or a single 180-degree turn, performed before beginning a training maneuver to visually scan the surrounding airspace for other aircraft. The turns are flown to expose the areas blocked by the aircraft's nose, wings, and cabin structure so the pilot can confirm the practice area is clear of traffic before maneuvering.
Plain English
Before practicing a maneuver, you turn the airplane through 90 degrees in each direction (or do one 180-degree turn) so you can look around and make sure no other aircraft are nearby. The turns let you see into the blind spots that the airplane's structure normally hides.
Context Anchor
Used during flight training before maneuvers such as ground-reference practice, stalls, or other exercises that require the pilot’s attention to be partly inside or focused on a specific task.
Derivation
Clearing comes from clear, meaning free from obstruction or danger. In this aviation use, the turn is not done to go somewhere; it is done to clear the area visually before beginning the next task. 90 degrees is one quarter of a full circle.
Why Pilots Care
Confirms clear airspace when pilot attention will be focused on the maneuver and ground references, reducing mid-air collision risk.
Intuition Check
Do not read clearing as leaving the area. Here it means checking that the area is safe. Do not read 90° as a steep or special kind of turn; it only tells you how much direction change to make.
Example Sentence 1
Before entering slow flight, the student performed 90° clearing turns to check for traffic in the practice area.
Example Sentence 2
Prior to steep turns, the instructor directed the student to complete 90° clearing turns to verify the airspace was clear.