Sigh. They’re back. The modern resurrection of the pattern wars. As an inveterate FAA jailhouse lawyer, I already know the arguments.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/insider/pattern-wars-part-deux
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/insider/pattern-wars-part-deux
What Paul just said. From someone who used to do the Gulfstream thing into a non-towered home base and also did and still does the Cessna 120 thing into a non-towered home base. Thanks Paul.
Great article, Paul. You’ve hit the nail on the head with NORDOs and common-sense safety. If someone can splurge on an iPad for navigation, it’s safe to assume they can also afford a transceiver for communication.
Now, on straight-ins—they’re not going away anytime soon. It’s important then, for everyone, especially at non-towered airports with IAPs to anticipate straight-in approaches as inbound IFR, or practice IFR traffic, slow or fast movers, usually with a higher workload, might not be able to transition in time with the VFR traffic the pattern. Protect yourself at all times!
Thanks for shedding light on these important points, Paul!
From a confused Canadian
What is a “tear drop entry to the 45 “ ? And what is the point of the “last call” transmission?
What is a “tear drop entry to the 45 “ ? And what is the point of the “last call” transmission?
- Once you’ve crossed over midfield from the opposite side and perpendicular to the traffic pattern, maintain an altitude of at least 500 feet above the traffic pattern altitude (TPA) and scan for traffic from above.
- Continue level flight for approximately one mile or more away from the downwind leg.
- Carefully begin a descending right turn to enter the pattern using a “teardrop” maneuver.
- Join the 45-degree angle course to the downwind leg at pattern altitude, preferably one to two miles away from the downwind leg.
- Announce your position and intentions with clarity.
Including “last calls” may be seen as redundant, but some pilots may find it reassuring or personally significant.
Regulations and recommendations always have to take into account and accommodate worst-case situations. If we set aside the non engine-driven electrical aircraft not having ADS-B or coms and then come to grips the fact any aircraft regardless of electrical system could be operated NORDO at non-towered airports, keep in mind a deaf pilot can obtain a student pilot certificate, recreational pilot certificate, private pilot certificate, and, on a limited basis, a commercial pilot certificate (i.e. ag operations, banner towing etc… outside of B or C). And on a similar note I have noticed that many non-towered airports have aircraft calling out every ground move on the CTAF tying up valuable time on frequency with nonsense calls like “N1234 taxiing to the fuel pumps from the T-hangars” or “engine start at the ramp”. The last thing I need when airborne and coordinating with other aircraft in flight in a dynamic 3D environment is having a student pilot and/or instructor blathering on about being stopped or driving at 5mph on the 2D surface of the ground.
The single most insane thing I have read lately is the AirVenture approach NOTAM that still accommodates NORDO aircraft. I am sure there is a legal or technical reason they have to provide access to NORDO aircraft and reading the procedure discourages it and requires a phone call to the tower from an outlying airport prior to proceeding. But I think a pilot would have to be nuts and irresponsible to attempt it.
I really hesitated to comment because I’ll earn some scorn here. I had a dangerous situation that would never have happened if the other guy had followed the traffic pattern recommendation. After a long winter and rainy Spring, it was the first good clear sunny day to fly. This non-towered local airport was busier than O’hare on Thanksgiving. The CTAF was clogged into a constant, mostly undiscernable stream of verbal CHAF. Notice that CTAF and CHAF are only one letter away from each other. Planes were everywhere as I entered the pattern mid field, probably #3 in line. Some of the chatter was from necessary back-taxiing, complicating the situation. It was chaos. As I turned final, the radio erupted into a stream of vile, lewd invectives from what turned out to be a local instructor and his student doing a straight-in landing. He claimed he announced his intent, but I never heard it. More importantly, given how busy it was, I never expected a straight-in approach. In my opinion, the instructor was trying to save time, while setting a poor example for his student. Everyone else was doing one thing, and this one guy was doing something different. Is that really wise?
And yet, 91.113(g) remains unchanged, clearly not only anticipating that straight-ins will be flown, but prohibiting traffic already in the pattern from cutting in front of them so the straight-in is forced to go around. And case law tells us that knowingly cutting them off is an Emergency Revocation offense. So when you’re about to turn base, do take a look up final to see if anyone is there, especially if you don’t have a radio.
My one request for pilots making IFR approaches to untowered airports is to use “VFR” terminology when announcing on the CTAF, as a lot of non-instrument-rated pilots don’t know the fixes, even at their home airports.
For example:
Bad: “Jet123 is at STANE, inbound on the ILS runway 6”
Good: “Jet123 is 6 mile straight-in final, runway 6”
“coordinate their straight-in approach and landing with other airport traffic” by doing what, exactly? “I’m coming straight in, everyone else adjust your pattern to accommodate me”.
Thanks Paul. I agree, for the budget-minded (?) aviator a handheld radio is the best investment one could make in any gizmo that does not directly enhance the airplane’s ability to fly. And who knows - having and using one may allow one’s airplane to fly another day.
Regarding your Karen/Karens disclaimer, I seem to sense a bit of “Melvins, you know who you are.” Or maybe not.
Now add glider operations in the mix. For over twenty years at our airport gliders do right (tight) traffic, powered left (larger pattern) traffic to reduce the risk of midairs with no issue at all. Now the diagram in Appendix A throws all that out the window! Oh, and we also have medivac helicopter operations and skydivers, and we get along just fine without any “Advisories” from the Dark Side,
I got an idea: Look out the damn window!
An unfortunately true interpretation. I’ll give jets a pass as I would rather not follow their likely extended pattern. My practice is to never fly a straight in if there is even one plane in the pattern. And like Paul say’s, bring a radio please. I owned a J-3 based at Winter Haven & would never consider pattern work without it.
Better: “Jet123 is 6 mile straight-in final on the ILS runway 6”
Now both the instrument-rated and non-rated pilots have a clear understanding of what’s going on.
By doing what exactly? That’s just it. There is no “exactly”. Way too many variables. What are you flying? What type of airport? Terrain considerations? Stall speed?
It all seriously boils down to “playing nice”.
If I call 10 miles out and a straight-in makes sense to me, I’ll wait and see what the activity is for both type of aircraft in the pattern and congestion level. If a 172 is on base and a Cherokee is on down wind then there might be time to slow down. In a Skywagon I can mix easily but do you really want me to enter a traffic pattern at a “recommended” 45 degrees in a 767 or A 330?
I would never expect anyone to “accommodate me” but by communicating clearly as well as giving special consideration to other’s limitations, I’ve never seen a problem.
That’s always good (and important) too, but flying some type of standard pattern and making useful radio calls is a big help in trying to find that little dot in the big sky. And I do prefer other (GA) planes to be a little dot rather than a big plane when looking out my window.
Raf Sierra, I am unsure where you get point 3) - “Carefully begin a descending right turn to enter the pattern using a “teardrop” maneuver.”
I recall an FAA inspector at a Wings presentation, with the authentic accent and directness of a Dutchman, making reference to the PHAK figure 14-2 shared his opinion that the wording was poor and the diagram didn’t help. “People don’t know how to read”, he said.
Indeed, the “descending 45 tear drop to the downwind” sometimes seems to resemble a WWII fighter formation break.
Bullet 2 of figure 14-2 says "Fly clear of the traffic pattern (approximately 2 mi). His point, about people not knowing how to read (that means, read carefully) is with Bullet 3 - “Descent to pattern altitude (comma) THEN TURN”. It doesn’t say “carefully begin a descending right turn to enter the pattern when clear of the downwind leg”.
He elaborated. Flying clear of the traffic pattern (approx. 2 mi) is not the same as “fly 2 miles from the airport”. It means 2 miles from the pattern that has been established by aircraft in the pattern. Assuming you are descending at 500 fpm and you are 500 feet above a 1000 foot pattern, and flying at, what, 90 knots, that will add another 1-1/2 miles, and maybe 3 miles if you are trying to clear the jets and turboprops doing a 1500 foot pattern. Following the procedure recommended in the PHAK will put you about 3-1/4 to 5 miles from the pattern, level, at TPA, and still flying away from the runway. THENCE, begin your turn for the 45. This allows you time to acquire and sequence yourself with traffic already in the pattern.
“Last calls” seems, at least to me, to be a more economically-worded version of “any traffic in the area, please advise.” The FAA is clear on what they think of this verbiage in the note to 9.8.1 of the AC.
Oh what the heck, I’ll throw mention of the military-style overhead pattern into the mix of this discussion.
For a light GA airplane on a straight in or instrument approach it’s an easy transition to fly initial at pattern altitude straight overhead the landing runway and then time the break turn to fit into the flow of traffic already in the VFR pattern. If there isn’t a space for you, just carry straight through at pattern altitude and re-enter the pattern or set up for another approach. I use this technique often during instrument practice at my home drome to deconflict myself from the many unfamiliar transient aircraft and helicopter traffic from the on-field flight school.
Take your time, LISTEN to the radio as well as self-announce to build a mental picture of the traffic flow, look out the window, and as Paul led with, PLAY NICE.