AF/D Entry Confusion. Rectangular pattern?

WakeNCAgent

WakeNCAgent

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Louis
This past week I flew to Stanly County airport (KVUJ) in central NC. In planning the flight I noticed the pattern was listed in the remarks section instead of its usual place. Here's what it reads: "TPA--1709 (1100), rectangular 2309 (1700), overhead 2809 (2200)." I wasn't familiar with the 'rectangular' entry so I called the tower before departure. They couldn't explain it either and told me that the overhead should be 2309. I tried to explain what was in the book but they said their book didn't mention it. We picked up the discussion again when I checked in prior to landing (I was the only aircraft on frequency) but no resolution was found.

I'm familiar with higher patterns for higher performance aircraft, but I've never seen it depicted as the Rectangular pattern; having the field controllers unaware of it made it that much more confusing.

I tried doing a Google search but you can imagine how many results appear for the string rectangular pattern. Can someone shed some light on this topic?
 
What "field controller?" VUJ is uncontrolled.

The remarks were no doubt submitted by the airport manager. Why don't you as k him (his number's in the record). I suspect that the thing got mispunctuated somehow. RECTANGULAR is the standard pattern, overhead is the military overhead break pattern.

The current listing seems to say :

- TFC PAT: RECTANGULAR - 1700 FT, OVERHEAD - 2200 FT.

Frankly, it's like pulling teeth to get the Atlanta ADO office to fix things. It took me over a year to get the record corrected for my airport and they screwed it up in the process (for a while our Airport manager number listed was the one for Walgreens).
 
I thought VUJ is class D, controlled field? I seem to recall flying there in training and what sounded like a cute girl was working (ie training) the tower as well as ground frequencies....
 
It is a controlled field. It's joint Civilian/Military. As I mentioned, I called before I left my home field and again continued the discussion with the controllers in flight during the approach to the field, but no one could clear up the confusion. They simply referred to their DoD document and all I had was my AF/D.
 
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Ooops...got my county fields screwed up, it is controlled. Sorry about that. The rest of my post applies however. It appears to have just been some typographical screw up that's winding it's way from the Airport manager through the horrendous delays inherent with the Atlanta ADO and the FAA publication cycles.
 
Not sure if this is going to work, but here is an attachment of the current AF/D issued on July 24th. Note the entry just above the Lego block.
 

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As I stated, the online version of the airport master record says "TFC PAT: RECTANGULAR - 1700 FT, OVERHEAD - 2200 FT." for the remark. I don't know what the origin of the one in the AF/D is but the airport master record is from where the AF/D remarks come.

Again, the remarks are inserted by the AIRPORT not the FAA. You'll have to beat up the airport not the controller.
 
It's badly worded in the A/FD.
TPA—1709 (1100), rectangular 2309 (1700), overhead 2809 (2200).
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What they're trying to say is that TPA for light aircraft is 1709 MSL/1100 AGL, while for heavy/jet aircraft it's 2309/1700 if they're flying the rectangular pattern or 2809/2200 if they're flying the overhead pattern. Suggest you contact the airport manager (who is responsible for what it says in the AIRPORT REMARKS in the A/FD) to get that cleared up.

And as published in the A/FD, VUJ is Class D and tower-controlled most of the time (1300Z-0300Z M-F except holidays like today) and reverts to Class E when the tower is closed.
 
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flyingron said:
As I stated, the online version of the airport master record says "TFC PAT: RECTANGULAR - 1700 FT, OVERHEAD - 2200 FT." for the remark. I don't know what the origin of the one in the AF/D is but the airport master record is from where the AF/D remarks come.
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That's not what it says in the A/FD, and absent instructions to the contrary from Tower, pilots have to go by what it says in the A/FD, not the "online version of the airport master record".

Again, the remarks are inserted by the AIRPORT not the FAA. You'll have to beat up the airport not the controller.
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Agreed.
 
Ron Levy said:
That's not what it says in the A/FD, and absent instructions to the contrary from Tower, pilots have to go by what it says in the A/FD, not the "online version of the airport master record".

Agreed.
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Bull hockey.. I like to use the most current information available and not some GUARANTEED TO BE AT LEAST 56 DAYS OUT OF DATE hunk of dead trees.
 
flyingron said:
Bull hockey.. I like to use the most current information available and not some GUARANTEED TO BE AT LEAST 56 DAYS OUT OF DATE hunk of dead trees.
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What's in the A/FD is the official data you are supposed to use unless there's a NOTAM to the contrary. Don't operate on data from other sources which may or may not yet be effective. And it doesn't matter whether you're using the paper or digital A/FD as long as it's effective.
 
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