Practicing/Training - En-route to Pattern Transitions

kontiki

kontiki

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Kontiki
Anyone know a good way to train/remember VFR en-route to pattern transitions.

It’s actually worse at a Class D airport when the tower is active because you never know what leg they want you to report when you call to let them know you're inbound.

So many times I'm about to turn what I think is downwind and realize, I got it backwards, which is when I exit the area and figure it out correctly for another try.

Thanks,
 
I'll listen to the CTAF when I'm on that last leg to get an idea of how busy they are and call them when I'm X-miles out (based on how busy they are) but no closer than 10-12 miles...'Anytown tower', N1234X, x-miles (direction) inbound (full stop, option, etc). based on my call they'll instruct me to enter a downwind, straight in approach, etc.
 
They will also advise the active runway, which will allow you to adjust your inbound leg to enter properly.
 
If I've never flown into a field before, and I just cant see it yet, and maybe one side of the runway has a right downwind leg, sometimes it takes more time than I have to figure out how to maneuver in the pattern. I'm getting better using the heading indicator as a reference and have been reviewing AIM 4.3.3 and AC 90-66B. I just keep thinking there's a quick memory trick or rule of thumb.
 
Real world flying, a lot of airports are different. You learn the basic procedures during training. After training you adapt and re adjust to all the different patterns. Controlled and uncontrolled fields.
 
Rehearse the arrival prior to departing. Use the airport diagram and read all the remarks.

Imagine an arrival to each runway and correlate it to local landmarks.

Don't overthink it once you are there...
 
Rather than doing it in your head, having a paper sectional in front of you, or a north oriented gps showing the airport might help. When I go to a new class D I listen for a bit, then call early. Around here, the answer back is often/usually "report midfield downwind runway X".
 
Three words:

Metal Landing Calculator.

Or, you got a spare CDI for a VOR you aren't using? Spin the OBS so your current heading is up top. Draw a line in your head on the CDI how the runway is aligned because you know the runway numbers where you are going. Now you know if you are likely to be base or downwind entry for towered field. If uncontrolled you could be straight in, upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, or 45. You just gotta be able to visualize in your head.

If towered and having trouble, request vectors/heading and say you're unfamailiar with the area.
 
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All good advice above. Yes, rehearse before arrival as much as you can. Draw a simple line sketch of the runway layout, with runway numbers at each end, draw your aircraft position from 10 or so miles out (arriving from the north, or whatever), orient the sketch 'track up' so the view is as if you're in the airplane flying towards the airport. Then pose several different likely wind scenarios and think through your entry. To me this is easier on a piece of paper with simple line drawings, compared to the image of the official airport diagram, which takes up the full frame, etc. (yes, still good/required to have this available when needed). Do this at home on a desk many times, use different airports in your area, different winds, etc. ("Let's see, runway 5-23, both left traffic, I'm coming from the north, winds are 190 at 7...."). I also like to tell students to start visualizing a compass circle around yourself/airplane, similar to your mention of using the heading indicator for orientation. After practice at home, even for an unplanned field, it won't take that long to do the same orientaton sketch in flight, say, 10 miles out after obtaining current winds. And after lots of practice, maybe you'll be able to think it through in your head, without the sketch. Yes, tower operations may give you different arival instructions, but the basics are the same.
 
Prior to flight, go to the Aopa Airports website (you don't have to be a member to access this) and print out the airport diagram. Mark up on the diagram the standard left or right hand entries for each runway. This way you will have a good idea what to expect as you approach the airport and get the landing runway info.

You can do a similar thing as you approach the airport with Foreflight or IFly GPS (and probably others). Use the Extend All Runways feature, which also indicates the standard left or right hand entry to each runway. When I use this feature I start 30 miles out or so with Extend All Runways. As I get closer and learn the runway in use, I'll turn off the non-landing runways so I just have the current one displayed. Then I just have to wait for the tower to direct me. It will either be straight it, base entry, or downwind entry (in most cases).

Having a clear picture ahead of time, using Google Earth, can also be a big help.

Also, approaching the airport from a higher altitude than pattern altitude can help orient you with an improved visual on the airport runway and lay out. I do this on almost every new airport I go to.
 
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kontiki said:
Anyone know a good way to train/remember VFR en-route to pattern transitions.

It’s actually worse at a Class D airport when the tower is active because you never know what leg they want you to report when you call to let them know you're inbound.

So many times I'm about to turn what I think is downwind and realize, I got it backwards, which is when I exit the area and figure it out correctly for another try.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
Use your DG as a quick visual overview. It shows the direction you're flying right now, and the direction aircraft are landing on final for the runway, so you're less likely to do the mental flip of directions that can happen to all of us sometimes (e.g. me a few days ago, "Traffic advisory, this is Piper FBJO at 2,200 ft over Rockland returning eastbound to Rockcliffe along the Ottawa River" ... "Correction, westbound").
 
practice, with an instructor. this is very basic stuff that I wouldn't expect a CFI to turn you loose solo going to a class D if you didn't have this basic stuff understood. it'll come to you though, it's really easy once you get it.
 
kontiki said:
Anyone know a good way to train/remember VFR en-route to pattern transitions.

It’s actually worse at a Class D airport when the tower is active because you never know what leg they want you to report when you call to let them know you're inbound.
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Not never. Not always but more often than not. Consider this runway. At a nontowered airport, the AWOS is reporting winds from the south. At a towered airport, ATIS is reporting using runway 21. I am inbound from the southeast.

Towered airport: I can tell you to 90% certainty how they are going to tell me to enter the pattern. Just looking at it, can't you?

Nontowered airport: Depends on whether the pattern is right or left traffic, but I only have one real choice for a left pattern. I have two for a right pattern, but that depends on what my radio, eyes, and other tools tell me about how busy that traffic pattern is.

You will learn this and it will become easy. The heads up is this: You will hear the term "situational awareness" many, many times. This looking at where you are and where you are going and how to get there is probably the single most important skill in flying.
upload_2021-8-30_14-11-17.png
 
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midlifeflyer said:
Not never. Not always but more often than not. Consider this runway. At a nontowered airport, the AWOS is reporting winds from the south. At a towered airport, ATIS is reporting using runway 21. I am inbound from the southeast.

Towered airport: I can tell you to 90% certainty how they are going to tell me to enter the pattern. Just looking at it, can't you?

Nontowered airport: Depends on whether the pattern is right or left traffic, but I only have one real choice for a left pattern. I have two for a right pattern, but that depends on what my radio, eyes, and other tools tell me about how busy that traffic pattern is.

You will learn this and it will become easy. The heads up is this: You will hear the term "situational awareness" many, many times. This looking at where you are and where you are going and how to get there is probably the single most important skill in flying.
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Horshack.jpg
 
With practice it should come.

ATC will *usually* give you the pattern leg that makes the most sense based on your direction of approach.

Another suggestion - listen to Live ATC at an unfamiliar airport and try to picture what’s going on. Then pull up an airport diagram and see if you were right. In the real world, you will have already briefed the runways and possible entries.
 
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