Definition
A turn flown with a small bank angle, generally up to about 20 degrees, in which the airplane's tendency to maintain straight-and-level flight slightly exceeds the turning force, so the pilot must hold a small amount of aileron to maintain the bank.
Plain English
A gentle turn where the wings are tilted only a little. Because the tilt is small, the airplane wants to roll back to level on its own, so the pilot keeps light pressure on the controls to hold the turn.
Context Anchor
Seen in turning-flight discussions, especially when comparing how bank angle changes the size of a turn.
Derivation
From 'shallow,' meaning of little depth or slight degree, and 'bank,' the aviation term for tilting the airplane around its longitudinal axis. Together: a slight tilt of the wings.
Why Pilots Care
Shallow banks produce lower load factors and smoother turns, making them suitable when a large turn radius is required or when operating at higher speeds.
Intuition Check
Shallow does not mean low altitude here. Bank does not mean money or a river edge here; it means how much the airplane's wings are tilted from level.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated a shallow bank while turning crosswind in the traffic pattern.
Example Sentence 2
During the constant-radius turning exercise the student maintained a shallow bank at cruise speed to keep the desired large turn radius.