How do you use a turn coordinator?

Answer 1

The most common type of turn coordinator shows a small silhouette of an airplane which rocks left or right to indicate the direction of bank, and below that a small curved tube with a small black ball inside.

The pilot uses the rudder along with this instrument to keep an airplane coordinated through a turn. The simplest way to use the instrument is to "step on the ball." That is, apply more rudder pedal pressure to whichever side the ball rolls to. Using this method to keep the ball centered will keep the plane coordinated.

Eventually student pilots will develop a feeling for the aircraft and will be able to keep the airplane coordinated using only their inner-ear, and will depend on this instrument less and less.

However the turn coordinator should not be taken for granted, and is still useful in an emergency situation where the artificial horizon has been disabled. If a pilot finds himself in IFR conditions without an artificial horizon, the direction of bank (but not bank angle) can be determined by centering the ball in the turn coordinator and then observing the direction of bank of the aircraft on the turn coordinator. If the ball can be centered and the aircraft on the gauge does not tilt, the aircraft is flying level. This, along with the airspeed and v-speed indicators can give a skilled pilot his bearings even when his artificial horizon has been renedered useless.