woodstock
Final Approach
Yesterday as we were taxiing to 17 there was one person in the pattern for 17 and another guy who seemed to be overflying the airport (couldn't tell what he was doing - he was at TPA but not even remotely in the correct pattern). I commented to my CFI "what is that guy doing, I hope he isn't setting up for 35, that is what it looks like".
The gentleman in the 17 pattern (the correct runway for the winds, and the one we were all using) called base for 17. We then heard another voice call "downwind for 17, behind the other plane". The aforementioned plane had been heading for downwind 35 but since we were already on the taxiway I couldn't see behind me to see if it was that guy or not but I had a feeling it was. I told my CFI I was going to make a radio call to tell him that the runway was 17 and he was heading for 35 (not knowing for sure it was that guy) and he said "don't".
Sure enough, the plane on short final for 17 landed and then I heard confused guy say "there appears to be a plane on the runway, I am going around". He sounded confused - it's those darn wrong way runway users, messing him up! hahaha.
Sure enough, he went around and called for 17 again and headed back around. By this point we were doing runup and I could see him and the whole runway. He started heading to 35 downwind again and since I had no idea if he had caught on yet, as soon as he called 17 downwind again I made a radio call "um, the plane that just called is on 35 downwind, are you aware of that? we are using 17" My CFI made a move to move my mike hand - I guess he didn't want me to make the call or wanted to see if the guy would figure himself out or not. The pilot immediately said "(tail number) heading for 17 crosswind".
Personally I would have made the mike call the first time but my CFI then said not to (I guess because we couldn't see him and didn't know if there was another plane out there we would then have messed up).
thoughts? Would my radio call one (not made) have been a bad idea, and was radio call two (actually made )a bad idea or rude or something?
My thoughts are etiquette be damned, the guy had no idea which runway he was using. Granted the pattern was fairly quiet - the other guy had already exited. Is there something I am not thinking of though? The airport is uncontrolled if that wasn't apparent already.
The gentleman in the 17 pattern (the correct runway for the winds, and the one we were all using) called base for 17. We then heard another voice call "downwind for 17, behind the other plane". The aforementioned plane had been heading for downwind 35 but since we were already on the taxiway I couldn't see behind me to see if it was that guy or not but I had a feeling it was. I told my CFI I was going to make a radio call to tell him that the runway was 17 and he was heading for 35 (not knowing for sure it was that guy) and he said "don't".
Sure enough, the plane on short final for 17 landed and then I heard confused guy say "there appears to be a plane on the runway, I am going around". He sounded confused - it's those darn wrong way runway users, messing him up! hahaha.
Sure enough, he went around and called for 17 again and headed back around. By this point we were doing runup and I could see him and the whole runway. He started heading to 35 downwind again and since I had no idea if he had caught on yet, as soon as he called 17 downwind again I made a radio call "um, the plane that just called is on 35 downwind, are you aware of that? we are using 17" My CFI made a move to move my mike hand - I guess he didn't want me to make the call or wanted to see if the guy would figure himself out or not. The pilot immediately said "(tail number) heading for 17 crosswind".
Personally I would have made the mike call the first time but my CFI then said not to (I guess because we couldn't see him and didn't know if there was another plane out there we would then have messed up).
thoughts? Would my radio call one (not made) have been a bad idea, and was radio call two (actually made )a bad idea or rude or something?
My thoughts are etiquette be damned, the guy had no idea which runway he was using. Granted the pattern was fairly quiet - the other guy had already exited. Is there something I am not thinking of though? The airport is uncontrolled if that wasn't apparent already.