Right downwind for runway 2, confused???

Bill

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OK, something I don't know for sure:

On the times approach has told me to make right base for runway xx, I've taken that to mean setup the base such that a right turn (right traffic) puts me on final. (I hope this is correct, and I haven't been yelled at when I do it this way).

The situation I'm even less sure about:

APP tells me to enter right downwind for runway xx, does this:

  1. Mean fly down the left side of the runway, and make right turns (right traffic) towards the runway, or
  2. Fly down the right side of the runway, and make left turns (left traffic) towards the runway???
:confused:
 
Bill Jennings said:
OK, something I don't know for sure:

The situation I'm even less sure about:

APP tells me to enter right downwind for runway xx, does this:

  1. Mean fly down the left side of the runway, and make right turns (right traffic) towards the runway, or
  2. Fly down the right side of the runway, and make left turns (left traffic) towards the runway???
:confused:

Another way to look at is he's telling you to enter a right traffic pattern by joining the downwind leg -- when you enter downwind the runway will be to your right, and you'll make right turns to base and final.
 
Here's a diagram of a right-hand pattern (with a very close-in right base for illustrative purposes) to runway 16 at Arlingington Muncipal Airport, NE of Seattle.

When flying a right downwind, you look to your right to see the runway and make right turns to base and final.
 
Right traffic means right turns, Right downwind same thing.
Left traffic means left turns.
 
This used to confuse me for a while. My home airport has one runway (that goes 2 directions - you won't get me THIS time) and we have right traffic on runway 26 (and left on 8).

So, when I go someplace with left traffic I think "like 8 at VAY" and when I go somewhere with right traffic I think "like 26 at VAY".
 
MSmith said:
This used to confuse me for a while. My home airport has one runway (that goes 2 directions - you won't get me THIS time) and we have right traffic on runway 26 (and left on 8).

So, when I go someplace with left traffic I think "like 8 at VAY" and when I go somewhere with right traffic I think "like 26 at VAY".

Hey, Mark -

N99 is the opposite of VAY -- helicopter traffic on the north side, airplanes on the south. Rw 27 is left traffic for planes, right traffic for helicopters, 9 is the reverse.

Now I got in a couple of hours in the R22 this morning (right traffic on 27), then took PAX up in my Cherokee in the afternoon (left traffic on 27). That'll keep you on your toes :)

That and remembering: helicopter, no pedal in turns, airplane, lead with rudder!

When I got back this afternoon, there was a familiar looking helicopter on the ramp. The pilot was inspecting the main rotor, and I walked up and said hello, that looks like one of Doug's helicopters (Helicopter Flight Services at VAY). Turns out he was doing his long XC: VAY-17N (I think)-N99-VAY. We had a nice chat. (In case someone is doing the math, XC for PP-RH is half of what it is for airplanes -- short is 25 nm, long requires a stop more than 25 nm from origination and total length of 75 nm.)
 
The answers have already been said. However, if you think it through, you would need a LOT of LEFT turns to get to fly a RIGHT pattern. When I was learning, I was always confused about the proper etiquette for entering an uncontrolled field.
 
Thanks for the replys, folks. I've got it now, if the APP controller says enter right downwind for 2, I know to fly down the left side of the runway and make right turns (right traffic) towards the runway.
 
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