steingar
Taxi to Parking
I've done plenty of downwind departures at towered and untoward airports. Done a few downwind arrivals too. I just don't do either if I think anyone else is in the pattern.
Seems to be a good approach (pun intended!)I've done plenty of downwind departures at towered and untoward airports. Done a few downwind arrivals too. I just don't do either if I think anyone else is in the pattern.
Maybe I should wait for pattern +500? Who knows...
... and that's the real issue. Take the "preferred" teardrop to a 45 when arriving from the opposite side. Works great if the airplane doing it does it far enough away to get to pattern altitude before heading back in on the 45, and the 152 in the pattern isn't doing 737 patterns. Change one if those parameters and you have a midair in the making.Lots don't "correctly" perform it, and fewer make them exactly 45°.
Since I remember when there was no CTAF, and pilots often didn't have or use radios, when the AIM called for a 90° left followed by an immediate 45° right turn after reaching pattern altitude, the reason for these turns was to indicate by your actions, similar to rocking your wings at the tower, that you were departing the pattern.To break it down and remove extraneous words:
If departing the traffic pattern:
1. continue straight out, or
2. make a 45 degree turn once past the departure end of the runway and after reaching pattern altitude.
Note it doesn't say "after reaching pattern altitude, proceed on course", or "when you're 5 miles away from the airport, proceed on course", or anything about when to actually turn on course.
Having been in a similar situation with a couple of other planes in the pattern, at an uncontrolled airport, I just announced that I would be making a right turn and flying downwind right, because that was the direction up the valley I wanted to go. Both others heard me, acknowledged, and thanked me for staying clear of the pattern since they were in a left pattern. An airport with a standard right hand pattern I go to occasionally, I would just again announce my intention for all those who have a radio, and turn left. For the planes without a radio, it would be simple and cheap for them to buy a handheld as well. A friend of mine does just that, he turns on his handheld about 15 miles away from the airport so he can listen to traffic, and he announces his intentions. When I fly with him, I am his radio guy.
But this can also be done very easily without a radio. Watching someone making a right turn on departure from a left hand pattern field is a pretty good indication that he's going somewhere else . . .
But if you're flying in Canada don't you have mandatory frequencies even at some airports without control towers?
The ones climbing up through the downwind could make some interesting dog fights with the ones descending into the downwind via the teardrop/ampersand entry embraced by AOPA. Or with the student pilot circling overhead on his first cross-country. Or the Biz jet at at 1500' AGL.Or going up instead of down.
About 98% have what we call an advisory channel. Basically a channel us pilots can chat on about the winds, weather, runway obstructions, and our intentions with each other. I recently announced that I was going to "buzz" the runway to try and make the people who were using it as a drag racing strip that i was there and wanted to land. I heard a voice saying thanks, and he appreciated me clearing the runway since he would arrive in about 15 minutes to land as well. I can't count the number of times I have flown somewhere to find a bunch of people on the runway, or various wildlife. Buzzing the runway to hopefully scare the animals off, or make people aware is just a way of life for me as a pilot. The people who use it as a place to walk is of no concern because they hear the plane coming, but the people driving on it be it cars, motorcycles or whatever do not. Deer are not skittish like many other animals, so I have had to make a few passes, and usually the last one extremely low to get the deer to leave. Most other animals are gone on pass one at 200 feet.But this can also be done very easily without a radio. Watching someone making a right turn on departure from a left hand pattern field is a pretty good indication that he's going somewhere else . . .
But if you're flying in Canada don't you have mandatory frequencies even at some airports without control towers?
The ones climbing up through the downwind could make some interesting dog fights with the ones descending into the downwind via the teardrop/ampersand entry embraced by AOPA. Or with the student pilot circling overhead on his first cross-country. Or the Biz jet at at 1500' AGL.