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Skid (aerodynamics)

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In flying, a skid is a specific type of slip during a turn where the sideways movement of the aircraft is outwards from the centre of the turn. Pilots generally reserve the word slip only for inside slips in a turn (towards the centre).

A skidding turn has no application in ordinary flying — it places the aircraft in an unstable situation, and is a leading cause of fatal stall-spin accidents. Pilots will typically enter a skidding turn in the airfield traffic pattern on the turn from base leg to final approach, unconsciously using the rudder in an attempt to tighten the turn and avoid overshooting the runway centreline.

Deliberate skids are used in aerobatics and aerial combat.

See also


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