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Why Propeller Airplanes Tend to Turn Left

Updated: Dec 19

If you’ve ever added power in a propeller airplane—especially during takeoff—you’ve probably noticed the airplane wants to yaw or roll left. This isn’t poor design or sloppy rigging; it’s physics at work.


Propeller-driven airplanes experience four distinct left-turning tendencies, most noticeable at high power, low airspeed, and high angle of attack. Understanding these forces makes you a smoother, safer pilot and helps explain why right rudder is so often required.


Let’s break down the four contributors:

  1. Torque

  2. P-Factor

  3. Spiraling Slipstream

  4. Gyroscopic Precession



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1. Torque (Newton’s Third Law)

What it is:

Torque is the simplest to understand. Newton’s Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the engine turns the propeller clockwise (as seen from the cockpit), the airplane reacts by trying to roll counterclockwise—to the left.


What it affects:

  • Roll, primarily

  • Most noticeable during high power settings, especially on takeoff


Pilot sensation:

  • The left wing feels heavier

  • The airplane may try to roll left as power is applied


How pilots counter it:

  • Right aileron (and sometimes rudder, depending on aircraft)


Torque alone doesn’t usually cause yaw, but it sets the stage for the other tendencies to amplify the left-turning effect.


2. P-Factor (Asymmetric Blade Effect)

What it is:

P-factor occurs when the propeller disk is tilted relative to the oncoming airflow—typically during climbs or high angles of attack. In this condition, the descending propeller blade (on the right side of the airplane) has a higher angle of attack and produces more thrust than the ascending blade.


What it affects:

  • Yaw, primarily

  • Strongest at high angle of attack and high power


Pilot sensation:

  • The nose yaws left as power increases, especially during climb


Why it matters:

This is often the dominant left-turning tendency in many training aircraft during takeoff and climb.


How pilots counter it:

  • Right rudder—sometimes a lot of it


3. Spiraling Slipstream

What it is:

The propeller doesn’t just push air backward—it sends it rearward in a spiral. This spiraling slipstream wraps around the fuselage and strikes the left side of the vertical stabilizer, pushing the tail right and the nose left.


What it affects:

  • Yaw, primarily

  • Most noticeable at low airspeed and high power


Pilot sensation:

  • A persistent left yaw during takeoff roll and climb


Key detail:

As airspeed increases, the slipstream straightens out, reducing this effect.


How pilots counter it:

  • Right rudder, especially during initial takeoff roll


4. Gyroscopic Precession

What it is:

A spinning propeller acts like a gyroscope. When a force is applied to a spinning disk, the resulting reaction occurs 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation.

In tailwheel airplanes, raising the tail during takeoff applies a force at the top of the propeller disk. Due to gyroscopic precession, this force manifests on the right side, causing a yaw to the left.


What it affects:

  • Yaw, briefly but sometimes aggressively

  • Most noticeable in tailwheel aircraft


Pilot sensation:

  • A sudden left yaw as the tail comes up


How pilots counter it:

  • Anticipatory right rudder input


In tricycle-gear airplanes, gyroscopic precession is far less pronounced but can still appear during abrupt pitch changes.


When Are Left-Turning Tendencies Strongest?

You’ll feel these forces most when the airplane is at:

  • High power

  • Low airspeed

  • High angle of attack

  • Left-turning propeller (clockwise from the cockpit)


That’s why takeoff and go-arounds demand so much right rudder—and why instructors constantly remind students to “step on the ball.”


The Pilot’s Takeaway

Left-turning tendencies aren’t flaws—they’re predictable aerodynamic forces. Good pilots don’t fight them; they anticipate and manage them.


Understanding why the airplane wants to turn left helps you:

  • Apply smoother, more confident control inputs

  • Improve takeoff and climb performance

  • Fly more coordinated and professional maneuvers


So the next time you add power and feel that left pull, remember—it’s just physics asking for a little right rudder.



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