Entering the pattern and overflying airports

[wilkersk]

Post on FB today, shows a screen grab of someone's iPad with Foreflight showing a complete cluster-7uck over KAWO. The comment from the OP was something about how bad we need a control tower. I say "screw that"! That kind of thinking will buy us a lot more "rule airspace", cost us a lot more money and personal freedom.

Just imagine for a second, one of those time-lapse photos with aircraft arriving and departing over a long period, super-impose those "recommended" and "alternate" arrivals and departures on top of that.

If you cross overhead at TPA +500, and don't descend until you're 2 miles away from the runway, then when you're about 3 miles away, make a 30 degree bank turn back to join the 45, you'll see this makes perfect sense.

One of the "emphasis" items on my last flight review was to make sure I was TPA +500 when crossing midfield to enter the 45, and not descending until I was 2 miles from the runway.

Take your copy of the AC90-66B out and have your copilot read it to you like a checklist as you fly the pattern. I suspect some pilots would see a little bit different picture than what they're used to. If everyone did it that way

 

[wilkersk]

Here's a fun exercise if you have Foreflight: in your flight plan view, click on [PROCEDURE] and [TRAFFIC PATTERN]. select an entry, add it to your flight plan and you'll see a screen that looks like this on your MAP page. Try and fly the entry exactly as depicted. Forflight has you turning right at 2mi. So, you'll be making a descending turn back to the 45. FAA recommends not actually turning back to join the 45 till you're at pattern altitude.

Try it though. And see if your typical 45 deg angle, relative to the runway looks like the one depicted. A lot of aircraft I see are actually conflicting with the crosswind traffic when they say they're on the 45.

 

[Papa Pilot]

For several years, I did the mid-field/tear drop maneuver but I haven't done it in quite awhile. Main reason I don't do it anymore is I can't see what's going on in the pattern or on the field when I am flying away from the field. So what do I do then?

In the case of the OP, I would have done what others have suggested and performed a 45 downwind entry. However, I wouldn't do it mid-field, I'd do it closer to the departure end of the runway. Gives me more time to look for traffic, more time to get established in the pattern, more time to check out the field, and more time to get into the flow of traffic.

If I was coming from the opposite direction as OP, I would enter the left crosswind at PA+500' and begin my decent to PA abeam the runway. I know some folks says this puts you in conflict with departing traffic but I've never seen a departing aircraft at pattern altitude when they are crossing the departure end of the runway.

In fact, I just encountered this situation a few hours ago. N-S runway, left traffic landing south and I was on an east bound track. Called my intentions at 8, 4 and 2 miles out. Right after my 2 mile call another aircraft announced they were departing. I totally had them in my sight and was prepared for any necessary maneuvers. Departing plane turned west bound and passed to the left of me at more than 500' below. After departure turn, the departing aircraft had me in sight and declared "no factor". He know exactly where to look.

If I was coming in from the right in the original OP scenario, I would have entered the left upwind on the opposite side of traffic and joined the pattern on a left crosswind. If there was a departing plane staying in the traffic I could easily slow down or extend my upwind to slide in behind them. I could also easily adjust my position for any other flight path of a departing plane. As always, I would announce my intentions. I don't do straight-in approaches. Better to spend a few minutes in the pattern and "get the lay of the land" first.

If I was coming in from the left in the original OP scenario, I would have done a straight in downwind entry. But I would have line up for this entry 3-5 miles out so any departing aircraft would know where I was.

Food for thought. YMMV

 

[Brad Z]

I assume you meant “risk”.

Maneuvering within the aircraft’s limits should not increase a pilot’s risk of an accident. At all. In my opinion, it’s the maneuvering that enhances a pilot’s view in all directions, much like clearing turns do prior to practicing maneuvers. In fact, one recurring accident cause is two “non-maneuvering” aircraft on straight-ins or long finals colliding - often a low-wing vs a high-wing invisible in each other’s blind spots.

But in the end it’s all just a matter of personal preference. I have mine and you have yours, and both work most of the time.

Funny, I’d consider a descending 270 degree turn into the pattern to be just the sort of thing I’d want to do clearing turns before initiating, lol. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of meaningful data to suggest which is a better approach to pattern entry.

I look at this as basically the less exposure you have to being in an area of high density traffic, the less likely you are to collide with another airplane.

 

[wilkersk]

Funny, I’d consider a descending 270 degree turn into the pattern to be just the sort of thing I’d want to do clearing turns before initiating, lol. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of meaningful data to suggest which is a better approach to pattern entry.

I look at this as basically the less exposure you have to being in an area of high density traffic, the less likely you are to collide with another airplane.

2 miles, descend, then turn. Eyes out!

 

[woodchucker]

Personally, I stick to the 45-downwind. OP’s situation was zero traffic and zero wind. Choose a runway, 45-downwind and proceed. If you cannot see the windsock on downwind there’s nothing wrong with not committing to landing and overfly the runway offset to one side to get an eye on the windsock and any issues with other planes or wildlife on the ground. I’ve done that several times anyways. Never was a problem.

 

[dtuuri]

So what do I do then?

In the case of the OP, I would have done what others have suggested and performed a 45 downwind entry. However, I wouldn't do it mid-field, I'd do it closer to the departure end of the runway. Gives me more time to look for traffic, more time to get established in the pattern, more time to check out the field, and more time to get into the flow of traffic.

While that's according to position #1 in the drawing from the AIM in post #25, it isn't according to the illustration "key" and puts you closer to crosswind traffic having a high closure rate and also near closed traffic which may still be climbing the last few hundred feet to pattern altitude along the downwind:

"Key to traffic pattern operations

1. Enter pattern in level flight, abeam the midpoint of the runway, at pattern altitude."

I can understand why you want to avoid the middle of the downwind, now that FAA has made Kamikaze entries right over the middle of the runway a sanctioned event (imagine two airplanes deciding to enter the exact same way, but for the opposite runways), but your procedure is at odds with the official recommendation unless the legend key carries less weight than the sketch.

If I was coming from the opposite direction as OP, I would enter the left crosswind at PA+500' and begin my decent to PA abeam the runway. I know some folks says this puts you in conflict with departing traffic but I've never seen a departing aircraft at pattern altitude when they are crossing the departure end of the runway.

No, but then you have to descend from abeam the runway on crosswind and you will be descending into the traffic pattern, a long-time no-no and doing so is admonished in the AIM:

"4-4-15 Use of Visual Clearing Procedures
...
d. Traffic Pattern. Entries into traffic patterns while descending create specific collision hazards and should be avoided."​

Please see this accident report a few years ago in Texas. While you're looking left and turning/descending you might run over a Luscombe on the downwind coming from your right. See the radar plot and site overview in the accident docket: Accident ID CEN17FA063AB Mode Aviation occurred on December 31, 2016 in McKinney, TX United States Last Modified on December 11, 2018 06:12 Public Released on December 11, 2018 06:12 Total 14 document items (ntsb.gov)

EDIT: The OP should look at this too, since the accident Arrow flew the same path as the OP's drawing just prior to the midair.

If I was coming in from the right in the original OP scenario, I would have entered the left upwind on the opposite side of traffic and joined the pattern on a left crosswind. If there was a departing plane staying in the traffic I could easily slow down or extend my upwind to slide in behind them.

This, imho, is a WINNER! Ding, ding, ding!

If I was coming in from the left in the original OP scenario, I would have done a straight in downwind entry. But I would have line up for this entry 3-5 miles out so any departing aircraft would know where I was.

This is the same path a C-172 flew to the crash site at Corona, CA in January, 2008. It hit a C-150 climbing from crosswind to downwind. It's hard to spot aircraft camouflaged against the ground and climbing into you. Better to enter where other planes are at the same altitude. Dropping down a bit to see them against the sky and climbing back to altitude is a tip you probably already know. Hopefully you won't have to spot a Kamikaze coming nearly head-on at you from the other side of the airport with the full weight of the Federal Government behind him.

 

[Palmpilot]

...Hopefully you won't have to spot a Kamikaze coming nearly head-on at you from the other side of the airport with the full weight of the Federal Government behind him.

I suspect that some of those Kamikazes overlook the part where it says ""Yield to the preferred 45 degree entry and downwind traffic." (See illustration in Post #22.)

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I will reiterate that IMHO, entering the pattern from the inside is dangerous and stupid. I doesn't matter if you do it from pattern altitude or even worse, descending

Closest I have ever come to another aircraft (about 50 feet vertically 0 feet horizontally) in the air was some clown trying to do a teardrop 45 at ONZ without crossing in to Canada while I was on downwind.

 

[Domenick]

Post on FB today, shows a screen grab of someone's iPad with Foreflight showing a complete cluster-7uck over KAWO. ...

Link?

My home drome is Harvey field 15 nm south of Arlington. My personal SOP when departing to the north is to climb to 3500 and veer out over Port Susan to avoid the AWO cluster.

However, I agree, they DO NOT need a tower.

 

[Timbeck2]

here ya go

I had no idea you flew a bomber Eric. Reduce power at the "c" in circuit and start your base turn at "at."

 

[eman1200]

I had no idea you flew a bomber Eric. Reduce power at the "c" in circuit and start your base turn at "at."

I thought 'c' was for chute?

 

[Timbeck2]

I thought 'c' was for chute?

I fly a Cherokee...(sigh)

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I had no idea you flew a bomber

Twelve o'clock High (movie) has some nice footage of the B-17s making the base to final turn that gives a good perspective on the "Bomber pattern".

 

[Timbeck2]

Twelve o'clock High (movie) has some nice footage of the B-17s making the base to final turn that gives a good perspective on the "Bomber pattern".

That movie was required class room viewing in my senior NCO academy.

 

[MauleSkinner]

I virtually always overfly the airport through the jet traffic pattern.

FIFY.

FWIW, I typically initiate my climb to pattern altitude 3-4 miles from the field.

 

[wilkersk]

Link?

My home drome is Harvey field 15 nm south of Arlington. My personal SOP when departing to the north is to climb to 3500 and veer out over Port Susan to avoid the AWO cluster.

However, I agree, they DO NOT need a tower.

I thought the standard north departure from Harvey was to head due north and fly either directly over Frontier at 1,000'agl or climb to 3,500'MSL to go screw with the first aircraft you see doing aerobatics.

I chased some jackwad down the other day that kept turning into me every time i'd drop the nose to pick up airspeed for some acro. When I caught up to him, it was obvious he was head down staring at his iPad (probably trying to figure out why he couldn't see my ADS-B return).