"Mike 'Flyin'8'" wrote in message
...

I do not think ANYONE is saying that aircraft flying the proper full
pattern have right of way.


No one in this thread is saying it explicitly, but they're certainly
implying it.



Rather, they are saying it is more
appropriate is most circumstances, and in almost all cases, safer for
everyone involved.


I've heard many say that, I've yet to hear anyone make a supporting case.



Excellent timing from AOPA on this subject...
In my email within the past couple days I received this from AOPA:

"In his May 2003 AOPA Pilot feature, "Pattern Perfection," Thomas A.
Horne reviews preferred entries. "It's best to enter the downwind leg
of a nontowered airport's traffic pattern at midfield, on a 45-degree
interception angle. This gives you a good viewing perspective of all
legs of the pattern. You should be at pattern altitude (anywhere from
600 feet agl to 1,500 feet agl-check your airport reference for the
recommended altitude), and your downwind leg should be flown as close
as is comfortable for the airplane you're flying."

Here is a link to the full article:
http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pi...ttern0305.html



Thomas A. Horne:

"Avoid straight-in finals. Yes, you can make any kind of pattern you want at
nontowered fields. But of all the transgressions against standard procedure,
the straight-in final may be the worst. Here you risk T-boning those who fly
standard patterns as they fly from base to final. This is why looking up and
down final is so important when navigating the base leg."

If T-boning occurs does it not mean the traffic flying from base to final
failed to yield the right-of-way to the traffic on final?