The second instance is worse. The pilot feels uncomfortable increasing the bank, so he starts to skid the aircraft�s nose toward the runway with rudder. Of course skidding increases the speed of the outside wing, increasing its lift. This causes the aircraft to bank more steeply, and the pilot unconsciously compensates by applying opposite aileron. The aircraft is now in the classic cross-controlled configuration. If the aircraft's speed decays, a stall with a spin in the direction of the lowered wing is possible. Recovery from the spin is unlikely so close to the ground.
Jet pilots don't even chance this scenario developing. Watch the pros at a commercial airport some day. You will note that they almost always are lined up with the runway at least five miles out. That gives them plenty of time to correct an overshoot to the final approach course; any maneuvering they do to remain on the extended centerline can be accomplished with shallow banks. Take a lesson! If these experienced, highly trained professionals don't allow themselves to get into situations where they may be tempted to bank steeply close to the ground, why should you?
Of course, it's not exactly practical nor is it an especially good idea to turn final five miles out in a light aircraft--remember that you want to be in gliding distance of the runway. But there is a way you can emulate the big boys. First and foremost, foster discipline. Make a rock-solid determination to abandon any approach that has gotten out of hand. Another solution is to plan your base far enough out to avoid the pressure to tighten the turn to final--this doesn't mean five miles out.
What else can be done? Consider the asymmetrical traffic pattern. Compare the patterns in the figures to the right. Most pilots are taught to fly relatively crisp patterns such as that depicted in Figure 1. Bank angles should be steep enough (30 degrees is commonly taught) to minimize the time you can�t see runway (high-wing aircraft) or the outside of the traffic pattern (high- and low-wing aircraft) where other aircraft may be entering at a nonstandard point. Additionally, the moderately steep bank increases your aircraft's visibility to others in the pattern by exposing more of the wing.
I am in agreement with teaching 30-degree banked turns in the pattern, for all the reasons mentioned. But I make an exception for the turn from base to final. Refer to Figure 2. The pilot flying this traffic pattern has begun his turn early, using a much shallower bank--perhaps 15 to 20 degrees. The result is a somewhat sloppier-looking, but safer, pattern. It gives the pilot more time to assess the effect of any crosswind and adjust his turn to smoothly intercept the final approach course. Because he starts the turn to final with a shallow bank angle, he can safely increase his bank (within limits) to counter an overshoot. Likewise, there should be little reason to tempt the pilot to skid. Even if he does, at the shallower bank this is much less likely to result in disaster. Check out the stall speed versus bank chart in your aircraft's flight manual. Although a pilot who increases his bank from 30 degrees to 45 degrees and one who increases it from 15 to 30 are both increasing by the same number of degrees; the effect on stall speed is much more dramatic in the first case.
Fifty years ago, a generation of flight instructors whose background was largely military taught that crisp turns were the mark of a precise pilot. Today the catchword is safety. The asymmetrical pattern may not look as pretty, but if it makes you safer, who really cares?
