Entering the pattern?

Mike Smith

Mike Smith

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How would you do it? Landing RW 9 and approaching from the west? To enter the 45 my first thought is to come in north and do a 135 degree turn to enter? If you were to approach from the west to the south of the airport, how do you get to the north to enter? Overfly the field? I am going to get all of this from my instructor, just curious what the board thinks. Edit to add, it is an uncontrolled field.
 
mikeinbama said:
My instructor insists I do a proper pattern.
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I'm thinking you can scoot to the south and enter 45 left upwind. early on in my training I wasn't comfortable crossing midfield because our rwy is so short it just didn't give me enough time to set up. I verbally mentioned this to my instructor that "I could cross midfield but I'm just going to do a full pattern" so he knew I knew my options.
 
What would I do? Likely come straight in.
Otherwise I would cross midfield.
 
mikeinbama said:
My instructor insists I do a proper pattern.
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Then fly a big circle around the airport and do your 45 just to make him happy. Once you get your license you can do midfield entries or big long finals if you like. I do those once in awhile, but I try to make extra special certain there isn't anyone else in the pattern.
 
Overhead pattern. It's even in the AIM. :)
 
If there are not many airplanes in the pattern,would come straight in. If not cross midfield and enter the standard pattern.
 
I wouldn't circle around the airport because your long crosswind would be crossing any departure traffic. I would come in slightly to the south, cross mid-field and then do essentially a 270 degree turn to the right into a left downwind.

After I get more experience I'll be able to cross mid-field and then turn the 135 or so degrees to the left for a shorter downwind.
 
Ghery said:
A straight in approach is a proper pattern. Ask you CFI to show you where it isn't.
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My term, not his. Standard pattern is more accurate. I believe he just wants me to practice. Not usually as much to learn on a straight in I would think.


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Unless I'm coming in on the ideal side (where a 45 entry to the appropriate runway is easy to accomplish), I almost always overfly the field above TPA and maneuver to the appropriate spot to descend and turn into the 45 to the downwind. Overflying gives me a good look at the field (including the wind sock, other traffic in the pattern or on the surface, etc) and doesn't add more than a few minutes to the flight.
 
OkieAviator said:
I wouldn't circle around the airport because your long crosswind would be crossing any departure traffic. I would come in slightly to the south, cross mid-field and then do essentially a 270 degree turn to the right into a left downwind.....
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why not cross midfield and just turn 90 to the left?
 
Mike;

For the direction of flight and runway in use you describe, I usually edge away from the airport for 5-7nm so I can make the gentler turn back toward the field and enter the pattern normally.

Sans that... cross midfield and teardrop.
 
eman1200 said:
why not cross midfield and just turn 90 to the left?
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Because you shouldn't be crossing midfield at pattern altitude. A 90° turn would put you in to the pattern direction, but too high.

Flying beyond and doing the 270 teardrop gives you a chance to loose the extra altitude and come in on the 45° at pattern altitude.
 
mikeinbama said:
How would you do it? Landing RW 9 and approaching from the west? To enter the 45 my first thought is to come in north and do a 135 degree turn to enter? If you were to approach from the west to the south of the airport, how do you get to the north to enter? Overfly the field? I am going to get all of this from my instructor, just curious what the board thinks. Edit to add, it is an uncontrolled field.
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If you are flying straight in west to east onto RW9 and you want to enter the pattern for RIGHT traffic stay 500 feet or more above pattern altitude and steer RIGHT and teardrop back on a midfield 45 for downwind right.

If you are flying straight in west to east onto RW9 and you want to enter the pattern for LEFT traffic stay 500 feet or more above pattern altitude and steer LEFT and teardrop back on a midfield 45 for downwind left.

If you are south of the airport and need to get north, fly 500 feet over pattern altitude midfield and teardrop turn into a midfield 45 for left downwind.
 
I should have stated also, left traffic. Great ideas everyone, thank you for your input, I really appreciate it.


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Apparently what I do is called a Teardrop... Not sure my CFI ever called it anything but explained the process.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Then cross midfield and do the teardrop entry.
You get to use the full pattern and fly a little longer.
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Cross midfield 500 feet above the highest pattern altitude.

You'll surprise downwind traffic if you intersect from the field side at their altitude.

Be aware that some airports have multiple pattern altitudes.
 
Straight in.
Or enter on the upwind leg.

If only there was a diagram for this...
 
mikeinbama said:
My instructor insists I do a proper pattern.
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Straight in is the proper pattern for the application. It exposes you to the least potential for conflict while allowing you to view the rest of the pattern as you approach. Everything else is a cluster****.
 
This is one of those hot topics here where people will start arguing about safety.
My CFI was similar to yours and only ever taught 45 degree entry.

We would do what Aggie Mike suggested and veer out and come back for the 45 degree entry.

Everybody has their preferred method, and who knows what is best?
After getting your ticket, listen and look and decide on your entry

If I'm flying to an uncontrolled field, I will plan a mid field or 45 depending on how I approach. When I arrive if it is dead, I just go straight in. If I hear or see anyone else, I make a decision.
 
Mike;

It sounds like you're instructor is referencing what to do on an uncontrolled field.

And that likely isn't gonna be your instructions on a controlled field. There, you're going to be told "Make Straight in Runway 09, Report XX miles".

For a rookie, flying straight in is not as simple as the normal rectangular pattern, because you don't have the usual cues of Abeam Numbers, Base Turn, Final Turn to manage your altitude and settings.

You need to unfold those cues into a straight line so you learn when to be at approach/pattern speed, when to deploy first and final flaps, and where do you need to be at what altitude.

ILS and GPS IFR approaches are set up for a longer straight in approach. So learning how to manage that during primary training makes sense.
 
You call "Podunk Traffic, red 172, 5 mile west on final, 1500' straight in rwy 9" I know exactly where to look for you. Not so if you're circling around the countryside for 20 minutes getting lined up for a 45.
 
Thank you everyone for your input. I had no idea that a pattern entry question was a hot button topic. I had been thinking about this today as tomorrow will be my first solo to the practice area. 27 is the preferred runway if there is no wind and that is no problem if it turns out that way. My only flight so far where the winds were favorable for 9, we came in from the north, again no problem. Tomorrow my assigner is to the west practice area and winds the last couple of days favored 9. Tomorrow may be a 27 day and it's a non issue, I was just curious because I hadn't done that yet. My instructor will tell me what he wants, I just wanted to hear from the community, I didn't intend contention. Again, thanks for all the input. But we can stop now.


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mikeinbama said:
...tomorrow will be my first solo to the practice area...

...My instructor will tell me what he want...
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Pop Quiz... who is the PIC on this flight....

So who gets to make the decision on how to safely land the plane? You flying? Or the guy on the ground?
 
Henning said:
Straight in is the proper pattern for the application. It exposes you to the least potential for conflict while allowing you to view the rest of the pattern as you approach. Everything else is a cluster****.
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Well said. That would be my pattern in this situation.
 
I'd just do straight in also. My instructor taught me the same procedures. Each mile out is one section of the pattern. 3 miles, do downwind stuff. 2 miles out, do base stuff. 1 mile out, on final, land. Yay.
 
Henning said:
Straight in is the proper pattern for the application. It exposes you to the least potential for conflict while allowing you to view the rest of the pattern as you approach. Everything else is a cluster****.
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Flying straight-in is not just rude and dangerous, it's admonished in the AIM.

Though people violate the common safety and courtesy rules of Unicom by doing such things, dropping into downwind from pattern altitude, departing on a 90 degree xwind, and even cutting in front of others on base, none of those practices are considered professional or safe.
 
CTLSi said:
Flying straight-in is not just rude and dangerous, it's admonished in the AIM.

Though people violate the common safety and courtesy rules of Unicom by doing such things, dropping into downwind from pattern altitude, departing on a 90 degree xwind, and even cutting in front of others on base, none of those practices are considered professional or safe.
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WTH? Where do you get this stuff?
 
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