During severe turbulence, the recommended airspeed to maintain is which?

During severe turbulence, the recommended airspeed to maintain is which?

• A. Cruise speed
• B. Maneuvering speed
• C. Best glide speed
• D. Maximum structural speed

Answer: (B)

In severe turbulence, you want to limit the loads the airframe can experience from gusts, and maneuvering speed is the speed that provides that protection. At this speed, the wing reacts to gusts and abrupt control inputs in a way that keeps the load factor within the airplane’s design limits, so you’re less likely to overstress the structure if the air encounters a sudden gust. If you go faster, gusts can impose higher loads and risk structural damage; if you go much slower, you can stall or lose effective control in turbulence. Cruise speed isn’t tuned for gust loading, best glide speed isn’t about structural protection, and maximum structural speed is the upper limit you don’t want to hit in turbulence. So maintaining maneuvering speed is the best practice in severe turbulence.

In severe turbulence, you want to limit the loads the airframe can experience from gusts, and maneuvering speed is the speed that provides that protection. At this speed, the wing reacts to gusts and abrupt control inputs in a way that keeps the load factor within the airplane’s design limits, so you’re less likely to overstress the structure if the air encounters a sudden gust. If you go faster, gusts can impose higher loads and risk structural damage; if you go much slower, you can stall or lose effective control in turbulence. Cruise speed isn’t tuned for gust loading, best glide speed isn’t about structural protection, and maximum structural speed is the upper limit you don’t want to hit in turbulence. So maintaining maneuvering speed is the best practice in severe turbulence.