Some of us, myself certainly, are quick to post our bad experiences and rant about the boneheaded things other pilots do. So why not post when something good happens for a change?
I had two good experiences yesterday.
The first was in the morning when I entered right downwind in the R22 for 27 at my home airport. There was a Cessna flying pipeline patrol who announced that he would be crossing the extended center line at the approach end of 27 at 800 MSL (helicopters usually fly the pattern at 1,000 MSL here). We exchanged positions and sighted each other. It occurred to me that instead of causing any trauma, there was no reason not to turn base at the approach end of the runway. Which I did and which did not escape the attention of the pipeline guy, who got on the radio and thanked me for flying a very tight base leg. I told him I was glad to help and we wished each other a good day...
Then in the afternoon, I had flown a few patterns in the Cherokee, then departed 27 to go north. When I turned out to the north (and announced it), I heard another Cherokee announce that he was 5 miles to the north inbound for landing. We exchanged positions and it was clear that there might be a conflict. I was climbing and told him I would level off at 1,300 until we spotted each other. He told me he had leveled off from his descent at 1,700. In about a minute we spotted each other and had plenty of clearance because of the vertical separation. Had I kept climbing and had he kept descending we would have come quite close.
So instead of having the adrenaline pumping, we thanked each other and continued our flights. No fuss, no muss.
All I can say is that it's a real pleasure to interact with pilots who know what they're doing
I had two good experiences yesterday.
The first was in the morning when I entered right downwind in the R22 for 27 at my home airport. There was a Cessna flying pipeline patrol who announced that he would be crossing the extended center line at the approach end of 27 at 800 MSL (helicopters usually fly the pattern at 1,000 MSL here). We exchanged positions and sighted each other. It occurred to me that instead of causing any trauma, there was no reason not to turn base at the approach end of the runway. Which I did and which did not escape the attention of the pipeline guy, who got on the radio and thanked me for flying a very tight base leg. I told him I was glad to help and we wished each other a good day...
Then in the afternoon, I had flown a few patterns in the Cherokee, then departed 27 to go north. When I turned out to the north (and announced it), I heard another Cherokee announce that he was 5 miles to the north inbound for landing. We exchanged positions and it was clear that there might be a conflict. I was climbing and told him I would level off at 1,300 until we spotted each other. He told me he had leveled off from his descent at 1,700. In about a minute we spotted each other and had plenty of clearance because of the vertical separation. Had I kept climbing and had he kept descending we would have come quite close.
So instead of having the adrenaline pumping, we thanked each other and continued our flights. No fuss, no muss.
All I can say is that it's a real pleasure to interact with pilots who know what they're doing
