Definition
A maneuver in which the airplane loses altitude while simultaneously changing heading, with the pitch attitude lowered below the horizon and the wings banked into the direction of turn.
Plain English
A turn in which the airplane is also going down. The nose is below the horizon and one wing is lowered to bank the airplane around.
Context Anchor
Seen in maneuver training, especially in the lazy eight, and in normal traffic-pattern flying when turning toward a lower altitude.
Why Pilots Care
Correct execution keeps the airplane coordinated, prevents excessive airspeed buildup or loss of control, and allows precise altitude management during training maneuvers.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as just “the nose is pointed down during a turn.” The key point is that the airplane is actually losing altitude while changing direction.
Example Sentence 1
During the second half of the lazy eight, the airplane is in a descending turn back toward the original heading.
Example Sentence 2
During the descending turn the pilot may reduce power slightly to keep airspeed from increasing beyond the target value.