Airplanes and Aerodynamics Commercial Pilot Practice Test 2026 - Free Commercial Pilot Practice Questions and Study Guide

In a banked level turn, the load factor is the lift-to-weight ratio and equals the secant of the bank angle. That’s because the vertical component of lift must balance weight, so L cos φ = W, giving L = W / cos φ and n = L/W = sec φ.

From 60 degrees, cos 60° = 0.5, so the load factor is 1/0.5 = 2 g. At 80 degrees, cos 80° ≈ 0.17365, giving a load factor of about 1/0.17365 ≈ 5.76 g. The increase in load factor is 5.76 − 2 ≈ 3.76 g, which is about 4 g.

So, increasing the bank from 60° to 80° raises the load factor by roughly 4 g.