During a left-hand thermalling maneuver at minimum sink speed in turbulent air, if the left wing drops, what corrective action should you take?

• A. Lower the nose before applying opposite aileron pressure
• B. Increase bank to the left
• C. Apply opposite rudder
• D. Pitch up and reduce bank

Answer: (A)

When a wing drops during a left-hand thermalling turn at minimum sink speed, the focus is on restoring lift on the wing that has lowered. Lowering the nose slightly reduces the angle of attack, which helps re-energize the airflow over the wing and reestablish lift, reducing the stall risk on the dropping wing. Once the airflow is reattached and lift is restored, apply opposite aileron to roll away from the drop and bring the wings back to a level, coordinated attitude.

In turbulent air, the goal is smooth, coordinated recovery rather than chasing more bank. Increasing bank to the left would worsen the roll imbalance, and relying on rudder alone won’t level the wings. Pitching up and reducing bank would raise the angle of attack further on the affected wing, increasing stall risk.