Definition
The wing on the inside of a turn — the wing pointing toward the center of the curved flight path. In a banked turn, it is the lower wing and travels a shorter distance through the air than the outside wing during the turn.
Plain English
When an airplane turns, one wing is on the inside of the curve and the other is on the outside. The inside wing is the one closer to the center of the turn — the lower wing in a normal banked turn.
Context Anchor
Seen when studying turns, turn radius, and how each wing moves through the air during a turn.
Why Pilots Care
The inside wing reaches a higher angle of attack and lower airspeed than the outside wing; this difference explains why an airplane can enter a spin from an uncoordinated turn.
Analogy
Think of a runner going around a track. The runner in the inside lane covers less distance than the runner in the outside lane. The inside wing is like the inside-lane runner — shorter path, slower speed through the air.
Intuition Check
Inside does not mean inside the airplane. Here, inside means closer to the center of the curved path the airplane is following.
Example Sentence 1
In a left turn, the left wing is the inside wing and travels a shorter arc than the right wing.
Example Sentence 2
Excessive yaw in a turn can cause the inside wing to stall first because of its lower speed and increased angle of attack.