Definition
A ground reference maneuver in which the airplane is flown in a horizontal pattern resembling the numeral 8, made up of two equal, opposite circles or loops joined at a common tangent point, with the pilot adjusting bank angle and crab continuously to compensate for wind drift so the ground track remains symmetrical.
Plain English
A training maneuver where you fly the airplane along a path on the ground that looks like the number 8, using two equal circles that meet in the middle. You adjust your turns to fight the wind so both loops stay the same size and shape.
Context Anchor
Seen in ground-reference maneuver training, especially in the Airplane Flying Handbook chapter on elementary eights.
Derivation
Figure eight comes from the shape of the written number 8. In this aviation use, the name describes the shape of the airplane’s path over the ground, not a special instrument reading or aerobatic trick.
Why Pilots Care
This maneuver develops precise wind correction, coordination, and ground-track awareness needed for safe low-altitude flying near obstacles or during traffic pattern work.
Intuition Check
Do not read figure eight as an aerobatic stunt or a perfect shape drawn in the sky. Here it means a controlled 8-shaped path over the ground, adjusted for wind.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor had the student fly figure eights around two silos to practice wind drift correction.
Example Sentence 2
After crossing the reference line in the figure eight, the pilot rolled into the opposite turn at the proper lead point to maintain equal loop sizes.