So There I Was...
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Kyle Boatright wrote:
Naah, no words, and I did several stop and go landings to conclude my
evening. I don't think the traffic conflict was a huge deal. It wasn't
like I was upset about the situation and he shouldn't have been either. I
just can't figure why he didn't try and blend into the light traffic. All
he had to do was pull the noise lever back a little. As far as extending my
pattern, you're right that it was an option. However, I was on a post
maintenance flight and wanted to stay close to the field, which meant I
didn't want to fly a big pattern. Also, I didn't think I needed to yield to
someone who didn't seem to be playing by the "rules of the road", whether
formal or informal.
I don't see how he can claim any pattern rights from 9 miles out. He was taking
a chance and he knew it. Everybody who flies a long straight in knows he's
cheating a bit and may well get called on it and have to enter the pattern
properly after all.
It's a bit unclear whether KB could claim pattern
rights either. From the best I could understand,
he was descending from 3000 either in the 45 or
in the downwind. Call me a student, but what I've
been taught is that you fly the pattern at 1000
or you're not in it.
|