Bank angle

Bank angle is the angle between the aircraft’s wings and the horizon when the aircraft is rolled in a turn or in a wings tilted attitude. It is used to describe how steeply the aircraft is banking and it directly affects turn performance and load factor. As bank angle increases in level flight, more lift is needed to maintain altitude and the stall speed rises. Pilots monitor bank angle on the attitude indicator and outside reference, and they control it smoothly to stay within limits.