Visual Apprach and traffic pattern

[satpak77]

this stuff isn't that hard. Why some people (the pilot mentioned in orig post) make it so is beyond me.

Really, as much as we would like the chicks at the bar to believe, this is not rocket science folks....

 

[guido411]

Been flying awhile and have flown a gazillion visual approaches but I flew with a guy today who believes we should enter the traffic pattern at a tower controlled airport after being cleared for the visual. Situation: approaching airport runway from 90 angle. 5 miles out we are cleared by Approach Control for the visual to Runway 18 (we are heading 270 degrees). I head for a modified left base to land runway 14. He says we should head straight for the midfield downfield.

After numerous searches of the AIM of other publications I realize there is no clear guidance I can find...,....what say you guys?

Why are you making a left base to 14 when he cleared you for the visual to 18? Lining up on a different runway is going to get you yelled at more than how you do or don't enter the traffic pattern.

 

[Checks]

It was a typo, good catch. It was a modified base for runway 18 not 14.

 

[Tired Soul]

This won't really hold up in court but there is also such a thing as expectation from other participants such as ATC.
I don't think they would expect you to join a left downwind from present position as described. I would think they expect you to enter a base leg.
Same as taxi clearances used to be: taxi runway 5, they don't expect you to taxi three times around the ramp and then take the longest way. They expect you to take the most expeditious way.