Full pattern and finding your way in?

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wildb

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wildb
Lets say you come in and find the pattern full of people doing t and g, say at least 4 or more planes. Where do you enter the pattern and how much room do you leave between you and the next plane?
 
Do everything normally but be prepared to initiate a 360 at any moment to make room if things get tight.

I am a straight in kinda guy but when the pattern is chatty, I tend to do the 45 as it gives me more time and more traffic calls to get in the flow.
 
I generally cross at mid-field and enter the downwind leg after looking both ways :yes: and picking out a plane to follow. I then announce my intentions to follow... the "blue and white Cessna on the downwind" or something like that. If someone else was thought they were following that Cessna, they'll usually speak up. I think the best place to join the flow is behind the last plane already at pattern altitude and in front of the plane climbing to pattern altitude.

Just my $0.02
 
I drag it in on a 10 mile final, just be sure to say "any traffic please advise" to be safe.
 
James331 said:
I drag it in on a 10 mile final, just be sure to say "any traffic please advise" to be safe.
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Heck yeah. You can come in below 500' and take advantage of being the lower aircraft to force your way in!
 
Usually it's best to rely on instructions from the psuedo-controller on the CTAF. After all, they're not paying him for this service for a reason.
 
Depending on how much traffic,and how much space they have between aircraft,usually use the standard 45 entry.
 
Nope, just fly an overhead break.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Do everything normally but be prepared to initiate a 360 at any moment to make room if things get tight.

I am a straight in kinda guy but when the pattern is chatty, I tend to do the 45 as it gives me more time and more traffic calls to get in the flow.
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360s in the pattern are not a good Idea (unless directed by a tower controller) IMHO... If you can't slow down enough to increase separation to a comfortable distance...break out and re-enter on a 45 (where people expect to see you)...Or extend downwind...
 
FlySince9 said:
360s in the pattern are not a good Idea (unless directed by a tower controller) IMHO... If you can't slow down enough to increase separation to a comfortable distance...break out and re-enter on a 45 (where people expect to see you)...Or extend downwind...
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But that's not dramatic enough.
I want to feel like I'm in a dog fight dying evasive maneuvers.
 
wildb said:
Lets say you come in and find the pattern full of people doing t and g, say at least 4 or more planes. Where do you enter the pattern and how much room do you leave between you and the next plane?
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Between two of them and enough to follow the one in front and enough for the one behind to follow me
 
as usual, you guys don't get it. form up on someones wing and do a formation landing! :D

bob
 
declare an emergency and go in #1
 
As you're overflying the field pull the chute for a perfect midfield landing!
 
Or extend downwind...
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That is what we do at KDVT.

if you're flying out of that beehive ISLIP MacArthur...
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I have only flown commercial in and out of MacArthur, it is a nice airport. If you want to see a "beehive" KDVT would match that description.

KDVT (Deer Valley) is in Phoenix, Arizona. We have two large schools here. Because of the heat everyone is up at 0630 and then landing at about 0800. There are some training benefits as a result of the congestion: learning to work with a busy controller and greater situational awareness are two of them
 
jordane93 said:
ISP isn't too bad. I take my students there to do landings because it's a lot quieter than FRG
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my experience is from 1973 when I lived in the area and was flight training there... Saturday and Sunday was always a wild ride...
 
Come in right behind somebody. No one will be there. Then extend downwind for spacing.
 
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