the bank angle should be increased so that the rate of turn is  used to maintain a constant radius turn. The following are the most common errors made while  performing S-turns across a road: • Developing the pilot’s skills to visualize each specific  segment of the maneuver and the maneuver as a whole,  prior to execution. • Developing a pilot’s ability  to intuitively manipulate  flight controls to adjust the bank angle during turns to  correct for groundspeed changes in order to maintain  constant radius turns and proper ground track between  ground references.  • Failure to adequately clear the area above, below,  and on either side of the airplane for safety hazards,  initially and throughout the maneuver. • Failure to establish a constant, level altitude prior to  entering the maneuver. • Failure to maintain altitude during the maneuver. • Failure to properly assess wind direction. • Failure to properly execute constant radius turns. • Failure to manipulate the flight controls in a smooth  and continuous manner when transitioning into turns. • Failure to establish the appropriate wind correction  angle. • Failure to apply coordinated aileron and rudder  pressure, resulting in slips or skids. Eights Along a Road Elementary Eights Eights along a road is a ground reference maneuver in which  the ground track consists of two opposite 360° adjacent turns  with the center of each 360° turn and the adjacent turn point  perpendicular or parallel to the straight-line ground reference  (road, railroad tracks, fence line, pipeline right-of-way, etc.).  [Figure 6-7]  Like the other ground reference maneuvers, its  objective is to further develop division of attention while  compensating for drift, maintaining orientation with ground  references, and maintaining a constant altitude. Elementary eights are a family of maneuvers in which each  individual maneuver is one that the airplane tracks a path over  the ground similar to the shape of a figure eight. There are  various types of eights, progressing from the elementary types  to very difficult types in the advanced maneuvers. Each eight  is intended to develop a pilot’s flight control coordination  skills, strengthen their awareness relative to the selected  ground references, and enhance division of attention so that  flying becomes more instinctive than mechanical. Eights  require a greater degree of focused attention to the selected  ground references; however, the real significance of eights  is that pilot must strive for flight precision. Although eights along a road may be performed with the  wind blowing parallel or perpendicular to the straight-line  ground reference, only the perpendicular wind situation is  explained since the principles involved are common to each.  The pilot should select a straight-line ground reference that is  perpendicular to the wind and position the airplane parallel  to and directly above the straight-line ground reference.  Since this places the airplane in a crosswind position, the  pilot must compensate for the wind drift with an appropriate  wind correction angle.  Elementary eights include eights along a road, eights across a  road, and eights around pylons. Each of these maneuvers is a  variation of a turn around a point. Each eight uses two ground  reference points about which the airplane turns first in one  direction and then the opposite direction—like a figure eight.  The following description is illustrated in  Figure 6-7 . The  airplane is initially in a crosswind position, perpendicular to  the wind, and over the ground-based reference. The first turn  should be a left turn toward a downwind position starting  with a steeping bank. When the entry is made into the turn, it  requires that the turn begin with a medium bank and gradually  steepen to its maximum bank angle when the airplane is  directly downwind. As the airplane turns from downwind  to crosswind, the bank angle needs to be gradually reduced  since groundspeed is decreasing; however, the groundspeed  only decreases by  1 ⁄ 2 of its velocity during the first  2 ⁄ 3 of the  turn from downwind to crosswind.  Eights maneuvers are designed for the following purposes: • Further development of the pilot’s skill in maintaining a specific relationship between the airplane and the  ground references. • Improving the pilot’s ability to divide attention  between the flightpath and ground-based references,  manipulation of the flight controls, and scanning for  outside hazards and instrument indications during both  turning and straight-line flight. The pilot must control the bank angle as well as the rate at  which the bank angle is reduced so that the wind correction  angle is correct. Assuming that the wind is coming from  the right side of the airplane, the airplane heading should  be slightly ahead of its position over the ground. When the  airplane completes the first 180° of ground track, it is directly  crosswind, and the airplane should be at the maximum wind  correction angle. 6-11