I wish I had a diagram to show, but I cannot find one and the maneuver is really difficult to draw (and I cannot draw). In any case, the vertical S is a maneuver that is used frequently in IFR training.
The Vertical S is not a maneuver required in the practical exam for an Instrument Rating, but it is a great way to practice the skills that you will have to demonstrate during the practical exam (check ride).
The pilot starts a standard rate turn (a turn in which it takes exactly 2 minutes to complete 360°) to the left or right, while at the same time starting a 500 foot per minute climb. At the end of 1 minute, the pilot will have (if done correctly) turned 180° and climbed 500 feet. After 1 minute, the pilot turns the other direction and begins a 500 foot per minute descent. At the end of that minute the pilot should be back a the original altitude and original heading.
This maneuver allows the pilot to practice several things. First, the instrument scan, when you're straight and level, you glance at the Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) and the Turn Coordinator, but just to make sure everything is level. During the Vertical S, you have to maintain a standard rate bank angle while at the same time establishing a climb (or descent) using the VSI for guidance. There is also the added element of a timer, which is also important in IFR flight. More on timers at a later date, but the short of it is, if your electrical goes out on your panel you have to get the plane on the ground in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), sometimes the only way to do that is to use a timer on your approach.
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