Local traffic pattern closed

[Johann]

What does this mean?

Was heading for this airport to do some practice landings, and heard it on the ATIS. Figured it might mean they don't want pattern work, and was feeling too lazy to call the tower and ask, so I just took my business somewhere else.

I did pattern work at that airport before (a long time ago though).

 

[Jeff Oslick]

Seems like odd phrasing, but yes, I would assume that means "no pattern work". Was there a NOTAM or AF/D listing regarding this? Some airports have limitations on the hours for pattern work, for noise abatement.

Some airports will let you "cheat" on this by requiring full-stop landings/taxi-backs during hours where pattern work is otherwise not allowed (essentially, no touch-and-goes or stop-and-goes).

 

[frfly172]

Check the notams,and AFD for the airport.

 

[poadeleted20]

I think Jeff had it right in the first line -- just temporarily too busy for pattern work. And you're not going to see anyone post a NOTAM (no less something in the A/FD) for a situation which will only exist for an hour or so and isn't one of the things for which NOTAMs are normally issued.

 

[Johann]

Thanks

Indeed there was nothing in the NOTAMs about not allowing pattern work, but one runway was closed and they have noise abatement procedures. Putting all together it does seem that it was a temporary restriction.

 

[Unit74]

A closed runway should be NOTAMed.

 

[Johann]

A closed runway should be NOTAMed.

Yes, the closed runway was NOTAMed, the closed local traffic was not, that was in the ATIS.
I guess it's like Ron said, it was something temporary so they didn't put it in a NOTAM.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

And you're not going to see anyone post a NOTAM (no less something in the A/FD) for a situation which will only exist for an hour or so and isn't one of the things for which NOTAMs are normally issued.

I wouldn't say that. I've seen some NOTAMS that were down right comical. Like the runway lights being obscured by algae. I've also seen the pattern be closed to touch and go traffic because the guard unit on the airport wanted to do NVG operations.

 

[StinkBug]

Seems to me any runway light outage, regardless of the cause is worthy of a NOTAM. Also planned traffic closures because of a possibly dangerous condition make sense as well. An hour or 2 of extra heavy traffic isn't a planned event, and isn't technically a safety issue.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

Seems to me any runway light outage, regardless of the cause is worthy of a NOTAM.

Runway lights were fully functioning. But someone found some pond scum in a few of the white covers, and NOTAMd it

 

[StinkBug]

Outage includes anything interfering with their effectiveness. We can argue all day about if the light was actually affected or not, but if someone were to crash at night and the issue wasn't NOTAM'd then the airport would have a liability issue.