Definition
Turns made with a bank angle of approximately 20 degrees or less, in which the airplane's inherent lateral stability tends to roll the wings back toward level flight. Because of this, the pilot must hold a slight aileron input into the turn to maintain the bank.
Plain English
A gentle turn with a small amount of bank. The airplane naturally wants to roll its wings level again, so the pilot keeps a little pressure on the controls toward the turn to hold the bank steady.
Context Anchor
Seen in basic flight training when learning level turns and how much the airplane should be banked for different kinds of turns.
Derivation
Shallow comes from Old English meaning 'not deep.' In aviation it carries the same sense: a turn that doesn't go deep into bank, kept close to wings-level.
Why Pilots Care
Shallow turns allow smooth heading changes with minimal risk of altitude loss or uncoordinated flight, making them the standard for most routine maneuvering.
Intuition Check
“Shallow” does not mean the airplane is low or close to the ground here. It means the turn uses only a small amount of wing tilt.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated shallow turns first, banking only about 15 degrees while pointing out the slight aileron pressure needed to hold the bank.
Example Sentence 2
During the traffic pattern, shallow turns kept the airplane coordinated and easy to control.