Right downwind to runway 2 At CHA?

[SyrrThaddeus]

Please share your thoughts

20 miles out VFR heading 101® on approach from the west, flying C-182. Weather was excited with falling ceilings at 4400, thunderstorms (lightning) beginning to pop in the immediate area, 2hrs ahead of forecasts (imagine).

M01 to CHA, an unfamiliar field. ATC instructs "right downwind to runway 2.

Sorting this out in my low-time head, at 5 miles I'm cleared to land runway 2. Now add a big Beech converging from NW 8 miles out, also cleared for same runway and told to follow the Cessna downwind to land.

My heading at the time directed "right downwind to runway 2" was 101 degrees and was still 101® when I was cleared to land runway 2.

Having received 5-mile clearances to land on straight in approaches before was not so unusual, but this situation was very unusual to me, considering current conditions and direction of approach.

Please review the diagram and tell me your thoughts. I'll add what I did after a few pilots have had a chance to post.

Note: No one said anything to me but I'm very uncertain that I did the right thing.

Syrr

 

[Lindberg]

I don't know the airport, and I don't see any diagram, but that won't stop me from guessing. Did you overfly the runway above pattern altitude and then turn to enter a right downwind?

 

[frfly172]

We need the diagram if you want input.

 

[Velocity173]

Were you holding short of rwy 20 later in the day around 1410? Checked in with tower and they said to continue holding for helicopter traffic arriving?

 

[Jaybird180]

Is this a "no right turns in the pattern" thread?

 

[poadeleted20]

Is this a "no right turns in the pattern" thread?

I don't think so. I think it's a "controller misunderstood/misspoke or pilot misunderstood" thread. Even without looking at the runway diagram, I can't imagine Chattanooga Tower telling a 182 arriving from the west to make a right downwind to Runway 2 (requiring the plane to fly over the top of the airport at TPA). I would have asked for confirmation of that, making clear that I was west of the field, and would have expected Tower to respond, "Sorry, make LEFT downwind/base Runway 2."

 

[sourdough44]

Even if they told you 'right downwind', you could always ask politely for a left base or so. Maybe they were mistaken on your location. Unless there are serious traffic issues, I'd ask for the shorter option.

 

[Lindberg]

Maybe he was looking for the overhead.