What does aTC wants when asking "Squaring base"

odachoo said:
I heard ATC asking pilot "Squaring base"
what does that mean ?:confused:
Click to expand...

Usually if you're approaching the airport at an angle somewhere between a base leg and a straight in, they may ask you to square the base to allow better sequencing of aircraft.

Based on the context as I've heard it, they want you to turn perpendicular towards final and join the final with a 90° turn.
 
Brad Z said:
Usually if you're approaching the airport at an angle somewhere between a base leg and a straight in, they may ask you to square the base to allow better sequencing of aircraft.

Based on the context as I've heard it, they want you to turn perpendicular towards final and join the final with a 90° turn.
Click to expand...
Yep. This is how I interpret is as well
 
Do a pattern with square corners,rather than ( go for the numbers). Allows better sequencing if the airport is busy.
 
Our airport often says "square your base-to-final" in case you ever hear it that way... and I interpret it as others have stated.
 
frfly172 said:
Do a pattern with square corners,rather than ( go for the numbers). Allows better sequencing if the airport is busy.
Click to expand...

Sometimes the opposite is true. If the airport is busy and the tower controller wants to get you in front of someone coming straight in they will tell you "proceed to the numbers" and stop that time wasting base squaring thing you're doing.
 
The tow pilot used to come in, fairly low, cross over the field at 90 degrees, enter the "downwind" and make a 180 degree turn and finish it just coming over the fence and wheel land it on the end of the grass strip. I asked him about and he said "well, im flying a downwind base and final, what more do you want?" (all on one turn). So I tried it (when no one was around). It was kind of fun.
 
Brad Z said:
Usually if you're approaching the airport at an angle somewhere between a base leg and a straight in, they may ask you to square the base to allow better sequencing of aircraft.

Based on the context as I've heard it, they want you to turn perpendicular towards final and join the final with a 90° turn.
Click to expand...

I think I am missing something. Please help me understand...isn't that what you would do if you were somewhere between a base and a straight in, and they told you to do a straight in?
 
Even though the US has by far the best ATC system in the world, these sort of non-standard phrases should be phased out sooner rather than later.
 
What I don't understand is why most of you don't understand this request.

It is what you think it is.
 
On a related note, what does 'cleared to land' mean?

J/K, it's not always tricky. All aviation can be taught to an 8th grader.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
What I don't understand is why most of you don't understand this request.
Click to expand...

Maybe if it was formulated in English, we could choose to understand it.
What does aTC wants when asking "Squaring base" ... eet nott inglesh.

But what do we know, most of us are just pilots with extreme CDO ... :)
 
This is one of those questions that can mean different things to many people. Even talking to controllers in the same tower can mean different thing . Ever heard of "report a 2-mile left/right base"? Even the controller I was talking to said it meant different things when it is said by two different controllers.

I teach square your base as make a 90 degree turn to final and make it as close to a normal downwind/base leg as possible. No controller has told me to write down a number yet, but YMMV.
 
mtuomi said:
Is it in the ATC handbook?
Click to expand...
You're in the NYC area. You know those controllers do not use standard phraseology. They use what they need to get the point across.

You're goal is to make it from point A to B. They're there to help and provide a service. Why make it harder for them?
Captain said:
On a related note, what does 'cleared to land' mean?

J/K, it's not always tricky. All aviation can be taught to an 8th grader.
Click to expand...
This is true. People make aviation hard.
nimdabew said:
This is one of those questions that can mean different things to many people. Even talking to controllers in the same tower can mean different thing . Ever heard of "report a 2-mile left/right base"? Even the controller I was talking to said it meant different things when it is said by two different controllers.

I teach square your base as make a 90 degree turn to final and make it as close to a normal downwind/base leg as possible. No controller has told me to write down a number yet, but YMMV.
Click to expand...
Position yourself so you will enter the pattern on a base leg and call 2 miles from the field?
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
You're in the NYC area. You know those controllers do not use standard phraseology. They use what they need to get the point across.
Click to expand...

I know. They really should. I've posted about a case where their point was not what everyone here thought it was. Standard = good.
 
Not always. I remember a story of a Viet Nam pilot in a group that had taken damage. The pilot telling the story said he had alarms going off and inbound migs. He commented that the standard call would have been "dusty54, overlord contact delta niner two two bearing 330 closing four seven zero knots". He said if the controller had said that he would have died.

What the controller said instead knowing the situation and how saturated the pilot was was, "Joe, ya got migs at three O'Clock".

The pilot stated that nonstandard communication cut through the fog of war and got his attention fast enough he was able to react.

Someone here might know the details of this, I'd be interested. Everything above was basically made up by me to get the gist across. Might even have the wrong war but the point remains. Wish I could remember who that was...
 
It's fascinating to listen to vets and their stories. So much information can come from what they say.
 
Van Johnston said:
I think I am missing something. Please help me understand...isn't that what you would do if you were somewhere between a base and a straight in, and they told you to do a straight in?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Imagine you're approaching the numbers for runway 27, and you're 5 miles out on a 315 degree bearing to the airport, if cleared for a straight in you might fly a course of 325 and intercept the final approach course on short final.

Being told told to square your base leg would require turning to a course of 360 at some point and then making a 90 degree turn to the left for final.
 
Sounds like you're referring to the Steve Richie story in how he got one of his Migs. Instead of "Disco" giving him a full report on Migs in his area, he simply said "Steve, two miles north of ya." The time saved allowed him to reverse course on the Mig.
 
Velocity173 said:
Sounds like you're referring to the Steve Richie story in how he got one of his Migs. Instead of "Disco" giving him a full report on Migs in his area, he simply said "Steve, two miles north of ya." The time saved allowed him to reverse course on the Mig.
Click to expand...
I haven't found the actual quote, but this video is pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF8EVqPBSmI
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
Position yourself so you will enter the pattern on a base leg and call 2 miles from the field?
Click to expand...

Is it a normal length final and 2 miles from the final turn, a 2 mile final but poisiion on a "standard" base, as you said a 2 mile distance from the field, on the base leg, or something else?
 
nimdabew said:
Is it a normal length final and 2 miles from the final turn, a 2 mile final but poisiion on a "standard" base, as you said a 2 mile distance from the field, on the base leg, or something else?
Click to expand...

The first one. That second scenario would be a 2-mile final.

I get this call (albeit a 3-mile base) 90% of the time I'm inbound to my home field. I do what the first scenario implies.

I see it more as an, "in-range" call more than anything and that they will give you more pertinent instructions closer in.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
The first one. That second scenario would be a 2-mile final.

I get this call (albeit a 3-mile base) 90% of the time I'm inbound to my home field. I do what the first scenario implies.

I see it more as an, "in-range" call more than anything and that they will give you more pertinent instructions closer in.
Click to expand...

Yes and that is how I see it as well. Those were the examples the controller on the phone gave to me when I called him up with the question.
 
I can understand the OPs confusion as I was once in a squared base leg with an air guard helicopter very close on a straight in final and a regional jet that just departed. I was cleared to land, no. 1, and told to square my base. I was confused about that call since I was on a squared base already but later realized that he wanted to make sure I didn't cut the corner to stay away from the helicopter (who did a parallel landing with me onto the taxiway, very cool) and then get too close to the regional jets wake turbulence. Despite knowing that the helicopter had me in sight and could go much slower than me I still didn't like the idea of him being right on my tail so I might have cheated a bit on the square part.
 
I practice T&Gs at a quiet nearby class D airfield and get the "call 2 mile base" likely because the tower doesn't have radar.
Helps him know where to spot me, I figure.
 
oilburner said:
I practice T&Gs at a quiet nearby class D airfield and get the "call 2 mile base" likely because the tower doesn't have radar.
Helps him know where to spot me, I figure.
Click to expand...

I've toured my tower about three times now and they do have radar (it's a feed from APP/DEP) and I still get the call.

:dunno:
 
Around here being told to square it up means just that. We're operating very close between float planes and wheel planes and the controllers prefer guys to be where they're supposed to be and maneuver predictably. If they want to make space they tell us to extend the downwind or swing wide on downwind depending on the situation. Short approaches mean expedite landing and clearing the runway and then we're essentially approved to deviate from the standard pattern.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
I've toured my tower about three times now and they do have radar (it's a feed from APP/DEP) and I still get the call.

:dunno:
Click to expand...

The call to report base is for a few reasons. None deal with radar. 1) It's busy and the controller wants the report as to not forget about you. 2) It's not busy, but they're watching TV and they need the report as to not forget about you. 3) You're doing closed traffic and the controller is issuing the "report (position if required)"
 
Velocity173 said:
The call to report base is for a few reasons. None deal with radar. 1) It's busy and the controller wants the report as to not forget about you. 2) It's not busy, but they're watching TV and they need the report as to not forget about you. 3) You're doing closed traffic and the controller is issuing the "report (position if required)"
Click to expand...
It's always #2. :D

If I'm in the pattern, I'll "midfield downwind" to wake them up.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
It's always #2. :D
Click to expand...

Actually I think that stuff is a big no no these days. We used to watch TV in the tower but the supervisor determined based on traffic when to turn it off. Nowadays they're very restricted on distractions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top