Tight patterns?

Prescribed pattern distances/altitudes/entrys are fine until someone
doesn't..
- good strobes, good radio technique, look out for the other guy, and keep
looking until clear of the runway -
are the only things that can be depended upon to work... If you want more
safety add another strobe to your plane not another regulation...
denny

"Steve Robertson" wrote in message
...
Well, you shouldn't fly a tight pattern any more than you should fly a
wide pattern.

"Dennis O'Connor" wrote in message ...
Prescribed pattern distances/altitudes/entrys are fine until someone
doesn't..
- good strobes, good radio technique, look out for the other guy, and keep
looking until clear of the runway -
are the only things that can be depended upon to work... If you want more
safety add another strobe to your plane not another regulation...
denny


if you want more safety keep asshole pilots on the ground

"Jeb" wrote in message
om...

if you want more safety keep asshole pilots on the ground


Asshole pilots don't know they're assholes.

(Bob Martin) wrote in message . com...
Anyone else here like to fly a tight (or tighter than normal) pattern?

The field we're based at (Falcon Field, FFC) has a pretty good-sized
training operation, and there are a lot of students out practicing
landings, especially on good days. What annoys me, though, is that
some of these students fly huge patterns--like 2-mile finals,
downwinds 1-2 miles out from the runway, etc. Sometimes, I'll end up
behind somebody in the pattern, only to realize that, by the time he
turns final, I could have done another touch and go and ended up
behind him.

IMHO, there's no reason to go flying a jet/heavy twin pattern in a
Cessna. I've always tried to fly mine 4 white on the PAPI, with
basically a continuous turn from downwind to final (leveling out for a
second just to check traffic).


At a lot of airports you are in the pattern mixed up with Jets so it
works out best if you fly a similar pattern. A Cessna's pretty damn
slow though.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...

At a lot of airports you are in the pattern mixed up with Jets so it
works out best if you fly a similar pattern. A Cessna's pretty damn
slow though.


Right. So if the Cessna does fly a pattern similar to the jet's there's no
way they can mix. To keep the same spacing an aircraft half the speed of
another aircraft must fly a pattern half the total length of that
aircraft's.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message nk.net...
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...

At a lot of airports you are in the pattern mixed up with Jets so it
works out best if you fly a similar pattern. A Cessna's pretty damn
slow though.


Right. So if the Cessna does fly a pattern similar to the jet's there's no
way they can mix. To keep the same spacing an aircraft half the speed of
another aircraft must fly a pattern half the total length of that
aircraft's.

I don't drive a Cessna, I drive a Mooney.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...

I don't drive a Cessna, I drive a Mooney.


Right. So if the Mooney does fly a pattern similar to the jet's there's no
way they can mix. To keep the same spacing an aircraft half the speed of
another aircraft must fly a pattern half the total length of that
aircraft's.

Sometimes, I'll end up behind somebody in the pattern, only to realize that,
by the time he turns final, I could have done another touch and go and ended up
behind him.

off topic but i always silently calculate this when i ski with friends (who are
slower), i.e. i could have been down and rode the lift up and been back down
by the time we finish first run!

i could have been down and rode the lift up and been back down
by the time we finish first run!

I don't think so. My rule of thumb is that a five-minute ski run
equals a ten-minute lift ride. Ten of those and it's time for the
cafeteria.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

i could have been down and rode the lift up and been back down
by the time we finish first run!

I don't think so. My rule of thumb is that a five-minute ski run
equals a ten-minute lift ride. Ten of those and it's time for the
cafeteria.

....or the bar/lounge.