What is the requirement for maintaining altitude during steep turns?

Maintaining altitude during steep turns is crucial for safe and controlled flight. The standard requirement is to avoid deviations of more than ±100 feet from the desired altitude. This is important because steep turns, which often involve bank angles up to 50 degrees or more, can significantly affect the aircraft’s performance and increase the risk of altitude loss if not executed correctly.

The ±100 feet tolerance allows for some minor fluctuations caused by factors such as wind, airspeed variations, and control inputs. However, exceeding this limit can indicate a lack of proficiency in the maneuver and potentially lead to unsafe conditions. Therefore, pilots are trained to maintain precise altitude control, and a tolerance of ±100 feet is seen as a benchmark for proficiency during steep turns in a private pilot test environment.