Standard rate turn for low- or medium-speed aircraft is 3 degrees per second.

• A. One degree per second.
• B. Three degrees per second.
• C. Six degrees per second.
• D. Nine degrees per second.

Answer: (B)

In a standard rate turn, the aircraft’s heading changes at about 3 degrees per second. This precise rate is chosen so you can time turns consistently for procedures like holds, intercepts, and course reversals, giving you predictable spacing and coordination with wind. Because 360 degrees divided by 3 degrees per second equals 120 seconds, a full circle takes about two minutes, which is the basis for standard timing in many flight operations. The bank angle needed to maintain this rate varies with airspeed, but the defining factor is the turn rate, not the specific bank. If you turned much slower, it would take several minutes per circle; if you turned much faster, you’d complete a circle in under a minute. So, three degrees per second is the standard rate.