proper way to enter a non towered traffic pattern?

[paid4training]

Lets say the runway is 18/32 (using 18) and you are comig from north. I was always taught to cross mid field at min 500 feet above pattern alt. teardrop entery and enter downwind at pattern alt. is this correct and if so why the hell doesn't anybody do it...?

Thanks in advance

 

[AC560]

Arriving aircraft should be at the appropriate traffic pattern altitude before entering the traffic pattern. Entry to the downwind leg should be at a 45-degree angle abeam the midpoint of the runway.

AC90-66A

 

[nosehair]

hmmm...in the case of a runway 18/32, it would probably be best to cross on a midfield, since the downwind would have a 40 degree bend in it.

It would be hard (for me) to make a 45 degree intercept to such a crooked downwind...

 

[AC560]

It would be hard (for me) to make a 45 degree intercept to such a crooked downwind...

I would be going straight in myself, remember he who is lowest wins

 

[VNugget]

Direct into the upwind.

KISS!

 

[svcta]

Direct into the upwind.

KISS!

A very convincing argument could be made that this would require the least maneuvering and maintain the best visibility of the traffic pattern.

Enter however you wish, just make sure that if you choose something other than the standard 45 deg. entry leg you are absolutely sure that you know where everybody else(if anybody's there) is. It's legal and acceptable, but you're placing some extra responsibility on yourself.

 

[rfresh]

Lets say the runway is 18/32 (using 18) and you are comig from north. I was always taught to cross mid field at min 500 feet above pattern alt. teardrop entery and enter downwind at pattern alt. is this correct and if so why the hell doesn't anybody do it...?

Thanks in advance

One thing you'll find is that many pilots come into an uncontrolled airport any way they want. I've seen them take off downwind against all the other traffic - what you should be concerned with isn't so much as why other pilots don't follow the correct procedures since you can't change that but to learn how to enter correctly yourself and then watch how everybody else is doing it so you can keep clear and safe!

 

[Secret Squirrel]

10 mile final for 36. I tend to grease them better with a tail wind!

 

[VW Pilot]

Yeah lots of pilots make up entry points ....Some not safe. But since this happens , just keep your eyes peeled for traffic. The best thing you could do is read the AIM and go with that pattern.

 

[VW Pilot]

Also if at 500 abouve the pattern look for lears and other jets.....your description was fine...just keep your eyes peeled....

 

[svcta]

Yes, it is worth mentioning that jets are typically going to fly 1500' patterns....they go fast and a lot of times the crews aren't terribly current with non-towered ops. I'm not only the hair club president, I'm also a client........

 

[Dizel8]

As someone else said, I would enter on the upwind, turn crosswind over the numbers or close thereto, then turn downwind and be in business.

 

[pgcfii2002]

I typicall cross midfield at 1000 above TPA, check the AIM on this.

 

[twighead]

Direct into the upwind.

KISS!

Huh? The original poster said in his senario that you are coming FROM the North and landing on 18. (That is straight in for you guys who couldn't figure it out.) Where are all you guys coming up with this upwind and straight in for 36 stuff?

P.S. He also said the runway is 18/32 which would make one hell of an interesting runway.

 

[VNugget]

Huh? The original poster said in his senario that you are coming FROM the North and landing on 18. (That is straight in for you guys who couldn't figure it out.) Where are all you guys coming up with this upwind and straight in for 36 stuff?

P.S. He also said the runway is 18/32 which would make one hell of an interesting runway.

If you're coming from the North, then you're flying South (heading 180) and are aligned with the upwind for 18.

 

[twighead]

If you're coming from the North, then you're flying South (heading 180) and are aligned with the upwind for 18.

My point was why would you ever enter on the upwind when you could fly straight in?

And the other comment was to head straight in for 36, which is not even possible.

 

[VNugget]

My point was why would you ever enter on the upwind when you could fly straight in?

And the other comment was to head straight in for 36, which is not even possible.

So you can:

- check the windsock
- look over the field layout (taxiways, ramp, fuel pump, obstructions, etc)
- fit in with existing traffic
- get the plane slowed down
- see the runway over a big nose
- fly a more consistent approach from abeam the numbers
- placate the old grinches who make a pastime of raging against straight-ins
- look cool

(any of which may or may not apply depending on the situation)

And I never said anything about a straight-in to 36.

 

[nosehair]

If you're coming from the North, then you're flying South (heading 180) and are aligned with the upwind for 18.

...and it's one, two, three.. what are we fightin' for?

 

[Joshrk22]

So would you just make a straight-in, pass over the traffic on final, over the numbers, and join on the upwind?

"xxxx traffic, xxxxx, 5 miles to the north, 2,000, straight-in to enter upwind 18, xxxxx."

 

[Huggyu2]

So would you just make a straight-in, pass over the traffic on final, over the numbers, and join on the upwind?

"xxxx traffic, xxxxx, 5 miles to the north, 2,000, straight-in to enter upwind 18, xxxxx."

Sounds like y'all are pretty much describing "reporting initial", as per AIM 5-4-26. Basically, just like a military overhead patten.
If so, could the radio call sound more like "xx traffic, Nxxx, 5 mile initial for runway 18 at xxxx"? Or is using the term "initial" frowned upon?

 

[twighead]

So you can:

- check the windsock
- look over the field layout (taxiways, ramp, fuel pump, obstructions, etc)
- fit in with existing traffic
- get the plane slowed down
- see the runway over a big nose
- fly a more consistent approach from abeam the numbers
- placate the old grinches who make a pastime of raging against straight-ins
- look cool

(any of which may or may not apply depending on the situation)

And I never said anything about a straight-in to 36.

You can do all that if you want. I would come straight in. And I never said it was you who said they would come straight in for 36. Go read all the other comments and you will see what I'm talking about.

 

[VNugget]

You can do all that if you want. I would come straight in. And I never said it was you who said they would come straight in for 36. Go read all the other comments and you will see what I'm talking about.

OK, I see where Secret Squirrel said it, but since you mentioned it twice both in posts otherwise responding to me, I thought you insinuated that I did. He was obviously kidding anyway and it wasn't supposed to make sense.

As far as entering on the initial/upwind and doing an overhead, I'm not saying you SHOULD do it, just listing possible reasons why someone WOULD (once again, depending on the situation.). And, well, you asked

 

[QuasarZ]

If you are listening to UNICOM for a while an hear no other traffic... I would go straight in. If there is traffic, it depends on who is where

 

[svcta]

For what it's worth....A couple of weeks ago I was headed in to an airport that I'm intimately familiar with and I got the numbers from the AWOS.....decided to say "hello" to some friends at a private airport 6 miles to the south of where I was going.....and by the time I got there the winds had changed from Variable at 3 to over 10 downwind of the runway I chose to use (and therefore entered on a wide base leg to). Not a big deal considering there was over 5000' available, but I did float a ways down the runway. Literally in less than 10 minutes the winds were that different(of course, an AWOS is a minute by minute snapshot).

Now, here's my point: If I had done an initial(overhead) like I like to do, I would have seen the windsock and avoided any trouble with the winds. Moral: Standards are just that. Standards. They do not cover every situation. In my example there was no one else in the pattern, so I would have been better off doing things my way.

Another point: The airport where I operate out of.....(private strip)the neighbors have expressed a level of discontent with my habit of making a low approach before every landing. For the last couple of months I have acquiesced to their not liking the noise that my airplane makes.....but here's my contention: The last two times that I have flown I have had the following happen: Dog run out in the runway and then chase me as I'm rolling out; guy mowing grass not visibly acknowledge that I'm coming right at him. That coupled with the fact that I've also had an old lady with Alzheimer's walk on to the runway that I was landing on (at another private strip where I used to operate) which forced a go-around means that from now on I fully plan on making an "obstacle clearance" pass before I land on any private strip at which I'm landing. I consider it a matter of safety. I also do this at any uncontrolled airport at which I'm landing at night...deer and coyote's and such are no fun to land on, and I've seen at least one of those things happen both at night at during the day. One time I almost killed a kid weedeating the centerline of the runway at a public use airport in south Mississippi even after I made every position report called for by standard protocol.

Pay attention and make sure that you know what's going on around you. Whether it's other aircraft or things going on on the ground. The onus is on YOU, and YOU'RE THE BOSS. Be careful out there.