New Traffic Pattern Advisory Circular

Palmpilot

Palmpilot

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Richard Palm
The FAA has recently replaced the 25-year-old advisory circular on traffic patterns at non-towered airports:

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_90-66B.pdf

This will probably upset some people:

Self-announce transmissions may include aircraft type to aid in identification and detection, but should not use paint schemes or color descriptions to replace the use of the aircraft call sign. For example, "MIDWEST TRAFFIC, TWIN COMMANDER FIVE ONE ROMEO FOXTROT TEN MILES NORTHEAST" or "MIDWEST TRAFFIC, FIVE ONE ROMEO FOXTROT TWIN COMMANDER TEN MILES NORTHEAST," not "MIDWEST TRAFFIC, BLUE AND WHITE TWIN COMMANDER TEN MILES NORTHEAST."​
 
Won’t change my SOP...........but I don’t fly a white Cessna.
 
I have only used colors when filing flight plans.

Except when I was flying a red 207 or the yellow 207, and someone would ask my location again.

At least they said "should not use" instead of "shall not use".

Did not say to not use Cessna 69whisky, a blue over white 172 with a black and gray prop, with orange and brown plaid interior, 10 miles northeast....
 
It never made sense to me, to use an entire tail number on every call.. If you are at an airport with no one else in the pattern. All it does is tie up the freq for everyone with 100 miles, who is also the only one in their pattern, making the same calls.

Now when their are two cherokees, or any confusion. Sure.. But each and every time with a cessna and a cherokee in the pattern. Or more likely just one guy?
 
I'm more concerned about the fact that the FAA is approving the midfield crossover at pattern altitude, which puts two airplanes nearly head-on at a high closure rate if anyone is making a 45 degree entry at the same time.
 
I’ll throw this out here. I always use the callsign that includes the tail number as most folks do (Ex. Cessna 52F), but I don’t see why it makes any difference to pilots in a non-towered pattern by hearing aircraft type and color (Red &White Cessna 172) instead.

Using the aircraft type and color actually makes more sense in a lot of ways, by a means to identify traffic quicker and easier, knowing what you’re looking for. I could care less what their N number is, as long as they identify themselves in a reasonable way.
 
Ryanb said:
I’ll throw this out here. I always use the callsign that includes the tail number as most folks do (Ex. Cessna 52F), but I don’t see why it makes any difference to pilots in a non-towered pattern by hearing aircraft type and color (Red &White Cessna 172) instead.

Using the aircraft type and color actually makes more sense in a lot of ways, by a means to identify traffic quicker and easier, knowing what you’re looking for. I could care less what their N number is, as long as they identify themselves in a reasonable way.
Click to expand...

When 9 out of 10 Cessna are white. What is point of calling out color?
 
Palmpilot said:
I'm more concerned about the fact that the FAA is approving the midfield crossover at pattern altitude, which puts two airplanes nearly head-on at a high closure rate if anyone is making a 45 degree entry at the same time.
Click to expand...

My flight school taught this method, and I freaking hated it. I'm a overfly and tear drop to a 45 guy. To me, the midfield crossover could lead to a mid-air especially if its a low wing vs. a high wing.
 
Palmpilot said:
I'm more concerned about the fact that the FAA is approving the midfield crossover at pattern altitude, which puts two airplanes nearly head-on at a high closure rate if anyone is making a 45 degree entry at the same time.
Click to expand...
I've never seen approaching a pattern at pattern altitude and seeing the traffic (just like you do on the standard 45 degree entry) as a huge problem just because you do it from the other side. Learned it when I learned to fly, seen it used fairly consistently at some US airports (it's standard in Canada) and glad to see this method finally "blessed" by the FAA.

Approaching a pattern looking at the traffic at the same altitude seems better to me than the "standard" descending teardrop to a 45 on top of the 152 flying a 747 pattern, which seems to be the way it's been flown.
 
Palmpilot said:
I'm more concerned about the fact that the FAA is approving the midfield crossover at pattern altitude, which puts two airplanes nearly head-on at a high closure rate if anyone is making a 45 degree entry at the same time.
Click to expand...
ARFlyer said:
My flight school taught this method, and I freaking hated it. I'm a overfly and tear drop to a 45 guy. To me, the midfield crossover could lead to a mid-air especially if its a low wing vs. a high wing.
Click to expand...

Interesting this should be brought up. I was flying the other day with an instructor and he had me do that coming into the airport to land. I had never done that before and questioned him about it. He is an ATP grad and instructed there for about 7 months. Maybe they teach that.
 
I’m just curious about this part:

Parachute Operations.
12.5.1 All activities are normally conducted under a NOTAM noting the location, altitudes, and time or duration of jump operations.​

I don’t recall ever seeing such a NOTAM. Are they included in a Foreflifgt briefing, for a route that passes nearby ?
 
ARFlyer said:
My flight school taught this method, and I freaking hated it. I'm a overfly and tear drop to a 45 guy. To me, the midfield crossover could lead to a mid-air especially if its a low wing vs. a high wing.
Click to expand...
I hate the overfly and teardrop crap. Too much maneuvering and turning near an airport.

I teach and fly a crosswind entry - though typically on the departure end of the runway and not midfield. Some thread probably about 12 years ago on this forum convinced me of it.
 
NoHeat said:
I’m just curious about this part:

Parachute Operations.
12.5.1 All activities are normally conducted under a NOTAM noting the location, altitudes, and time or duration of jump operations.​

I don’t recall ever seeing such a NOTAM. Are they included in a Foreflifgt briefing, for a route that passes nearby ?
Click to expand...
Idk about Foreflight. If it’s a permanent dropzone there will usually/often be the parachute symbol on the vfr sectional. Worth paying attention to sectionals on your route, I do so even while IFR.

NOTAMS are not required for all skydiving operations. Only some, depends on the specific details of the jump. Big sky theory and all that.

I was once at 10,500 ft or so, with a load of skydivers in a 182, door open, and the jumper was climbing out when suddenly a Bonanza flew right underneath us. Close enough to count the antennas. Doubt the Bonanza driver even knew how close he came to bumping into a 275 lb pedestrian that day.

I was not talking to atc at that time (had already changed freqs), if I would have been, they’d likely have alerted me. However we only had one radio, so you had to leave approaches frequency to make and you were on the airports CTAF during the jump run.

Sky was still big enough that day, but barely.
 
jesse said:
I teach and fly a crosswind entry - though typically on the departure end of the runway and not midfield. Some thread probably about 12 years ago on this forum convinced me of it.
Click to expand...
“Crosswind entry at the departures end” Why? Just curious, according to the FAA bulletin are you legal to do this entry?
 
midlifeflyer said:
I've never seen approaching a pattern at pattern altitude and seeing the traffic (just like you do on the standard 45 degree entry) as a huge problem just because you do it from the other side.

Approaching a pattern looking at the traffic at the same altitude seems better to me than the "standard" descending teardrop to a 45 on top of the 152 flying a 747 pattern, which seems to be the way it's been flown.
Click to expand...

I’m agree with you.:)
 
jesse said:
I hate the overfly and teardrop crap. Too much maneuvering and turning near an airport.

I teach and fly a crosswind entry - though typically on the departure end of the runway and not midfield. Some thread probably about 12 years ago on this forum convinced me of it.
Click to expand...
I do midfield, not departure end. On a longer runway or with a powerful aircraft taking off, much more chance of a conflict at the departure end.

Agree though on the teardrop. Even in the graphic in the AC, it is waaaayyy too close to the traffic pattern.
 
I have read many threads debating the midfield crosswind. Personally I find it to be the easiest way to enter the pattern from the wrong side. Traffic on final, departure and go around will be below you and I find the traffic on the 45 easy to spot and speed changes allow easy integration into the pattern with the other traffic with me normally giving way unless I’m well ahead and have a performance advantage. I have had traffic conflicts over the years but never on a midfield crosswind entry. Just my experience. I would never say other opinions are wrong. There are valid arguments for both side and it really comes down to being vigilant and actually seeing when looking, not just going through the motions.
 
What did I miss? The text says fly over midfield at pattern altitude but the diagram shows flying midfield at 500' above pattern, then do a descending turn to enter the 45 degree entry, arriving at pattern altitude by the time you enter the downwind.

Which is correct? Seems to me flying 500' above PA at midfield would be safer.
 
WRT color v. call sign. No one can see my tail number on my bird. Everyone (that matters to me - the people in the pattern) can see the yellow low wing aerobatic airplane. I could care less if the FAA can figure out from their tapes who was doing what when they review the tapes later. I'm very interested in establishing communication with those in the pattern when I'm joining it and being able to recognize those people real time. Go figure.
 
@Palmpilot LOL. Having recently read the AC already, when I got to this in your OP
Palmpilot said:
This will probably upset some people:
Click to expand...
I automatically thought you were going to rant about either pattern entry or ATITAPA but not the aircraft colors aspect. Fooled me. But looks like it drifted to pattern entry anyways. :)
 
2Airtime2 said:
What did I miss? The text says fly over midfield at pattern altitude but the diagram shows flying midfield at 500' above pattern, then do a descending turn to enter the 45 degree entry, arriving at pattern altitude by the time you enter the downwind.

Which is correct? Seems to me flying 500' above PA at midfield would be safer.
Click to expand...

There are two diagrams. One for each type of entry under discussion. The +500’ one is for the overfly with teardrop and 45. The direct entry one does not show +500’.
 
When I'm flying the N3N I identify myself as Yellow Biplane N45261. If I called in Naval Aircraft Factory N3N 90% of the pilots out there would have no idea what it was or what to look for. Plus it's a mouthful.
 
lolachampcar said:
WRT color v. call sign. No one can see my tail number on my bird. Everyone (that matters to me - the people in the pattern) can see the yellow low wing aerobatic airplane. I could care less if the FAA can figure out from their tapes who was doing what when they review the tapes later. I'm very interested in establishing communication with those in the pattern when I'm joining it and being able to recognize those people real time. Go figure.
Click to expand...

Since this is about radio communication at non-towered fields, I’m not sure if there would be any FAA tapes. Do they record CTAF? :dunno:
 
The tinfoil hat part of me thinks the FAA wants to know your callsign when they get it from LiveATC, rather than the color of your plane.
 
NoHeat said:
I’m just curious about this part:

Parachute Operations.
12.5.1 All activities are normally conducted under a NOTAM noting the location, altitudes, and time or duration of jump operations.​

I don’t recall ever seeing such a NOTAM. Are they included in a Foreflifgt briefing, for a route that passes nearby ?
Click to expand...

Unless it's a new dropzone, or a demo jump somewhere, they probably have a permanent NOTAM in the back of the chart supplement. There might even be something listed in the airfield notes too.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
I have read many threads debating the midfield crosswind. Personally I find it to be the easiest way to enter the pattern from the wrong side. Traffic on final, departure and go around will be below you and I find the traffic on the 45 easy to spot and speed changes allow easy integration into the pattern with the other traffic with me normally giving way unless I’m well ahead and have a performance advantage. I have had traffic conflicts over the years but never on a midfield crosswind entry. Just my experience. I would never say other opinions are wrong. There are valid arguments for both side and it really comes down to being vigilant and actually seeing when looking, not just going through the motions.
Click to expand...

I agree. The only thing I would point out is to consider larger aircraft will be flying the pattern at 1500' AGL. If traffic permits I see nothing wrong with the alternate midfield entry vs the teardrop, which potentially may cause a conflict with another inbound plane, even though one would be 500' higher but descending. Been using the alternate midfield since the 70s without any problems.

Approaching the pattern at the same altitude makes it easier to see other traffic. Low wing vs high wing is irrelevant as far as a conflict being they should be at the same altitude.

The color deal I don't totally agree with. Should use call sign I agree but if a color announcement helps one identify another plane I see nothing wrong with using it.
 
I fly out of F45 (North Palm Beach County) and PBI records our conversations :)
Again, the point is to be safe in the pattern by letting other aircraft know what you are doing with sufficient information to know who you are.
As Yak says, their call sign is meaningless while yellow biplane is instantly recognizable in the air.
Call signs are mostly good for reconstruction or matching ADSB targets with radio transmissions. How many of you folks have ADSB based traffic display complete with tail number tags? I do and love it but I suspect it is not that common.
 
SkyDog58 said:
There are two diagrams. One for each type of entry under discussion. The +500’ one is for the overfly with teardrop and 45. The direct entry one does not show +500’.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Pattern entry should always be made at pattern altitude. You just have to decide ahead of time where you want to enter. If it is via midfield flyover, you do that at pattern altitude. If it is from the 45, you do the midfield leg above pattern altitude, then descent to pattern altitude for your entry point, the 45.
 
Mid field cross wind at pattern altitude is what I've been using from the "wrong" side. Safer than departure end or upwind entry where you have to cross departing traffic path while they are trying to get to your altitude or above. As far as the call sign.... too much info, I don't use it UNLESS there are two of us in the pattern, then just the last 3 numbers. Concise, short and sweet, I hate the 10 to 15 second announcement in a busy pattern.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I do midfield, not departure end. On a longer runway or with a powerful aircraft taking off, much more chance of a conflict at the departure end.

Agree though on the teardrop. Even in the graphic in the AC, it is waaaayyy too close to the traffic pattern.
Click to expand...

If I'm close enough to enter cross wind departure end, I can see anyone on the runway departing that might be a conflic, and I can see anyone in or entering the pattern. If I'm crossing midfield, I'm raising my wing and blind to anyone on a 45. Harder for me to see traffic air to air than air to ground. Plus, with a retract, I prefer a little more time on the downwind leg to get configured. But that's just my preference. I don't like the teardrop method either, too much maneuvering down low in a potentially high traffic area. Though ADS-B traffic is a nice heads up.
 
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