Definition
A flight condition in which the airplane moves sideways through the air toward the inside of a turn because the bank angle is too steep for the rate of turn being held. The lowered wing pulls the airplane into the turn faster than the nose is being yawed around, so the airplane slides inward and downward relative to its flight path.
Plain English
The airplane is leaning into the turn more than it is actually turning, so it slides sideways toward the low wing instead of following a clean curved path.
Context Anchor
Seen during eights on pylons when the pilot watches a selected ground point and adjusts pitch to keep it visually fixed beside the airplane.
Derivation
From the everyday word 'slip,' meaning to slide sideways without control. In flight, the airplane is literally sliding sideways through the air toward the inside of the turn.
Why Pilots Care
Lets the pilot lose altitude or correct position during ground-reference maneuvers without gaining airspeed or changing the power setting.
Grounding Statement
During the maneuver, the ground point should look pinned in place; if it starts sliding forward or backward, the airplane’s altitude needs correction.
Intuition Check
Slipping here does not mean the airplane is skidding sideways through the air. It means the ground pylon appears to slide out of its fixed visual position during the maneuver.
Example Sentence 1
When the student banked too steeply trying to stay on the pylon, the airplane began slipping toward the inside of the turn and the wingtip drifted ahead of the reference point.
Example Sentence 2
When high on the maneuver, the student used slipping to lose altitude without increasing airspeed.