Flying patterns

On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:50:58 +0200, Wolfgang Schwanke
wrote:

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Where on the Web can I learn more about flying traffic patterns?

wikipedia is often a good start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airfield_traffic_pattern

Are these patterns of a
standard size, or do they vary from one airport to another?

(This is from a European perspective)
There's a "default" pattern which is rectangular, and whose lengths are
defined by the runway length and the fact that crosswind & base are
supposed to be 1 NM long. Everything else is deduced from there.

Here in the states my cross wind varies from about a city block to
nearly a mile depending on what I'm flying and how bad I want to scare
my passengers.


Most airports have published pattern map though which every pilot is
supposed to read before landing there. Often only one of two possible
patterns is defined, or motor and glider traffic have separate ones.

The height is defined, but the speed of the aircraft will determine
how large the pattern.

A light jet is going to make a one mile base seem pretty short.

When I do a circle to land in the Deb holding one mile takes a lot of
power and it's a pretty steep turn at low altitude. Generally
passengers do not like that sort of landing.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Stubby writes:

All you question will be answered if you buy a copy of FAR/AIM.
"Federal Aviation Regulations / Airman's Information Manual"

Thanks. I found something call the Aeronautical Information Manual,
which looks like it might be the same thing (?).

I had previously downloaded the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical
Knowledge, but it didn't seem to cover these things. I have the
Instrument Flying Handbook, also, although I assumed that the patterns
under discussion here were specific to VFR (?).

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Sylvain writes:

well, at least as far as things happen on this side of the pond,
you'll find plenty to read he

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge FAA-H-8083-25 Revised 2003;
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/a...ilot_handbook/

I have this one.

Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3 Revised 1999;
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/a...lane_handbook/

Found it, thanks. I try to find the PDF versions and download those,
as they are easier and more convenient to read. I already had found
the Pilot's Handbook and an Instrument Flying Handbook, but I tend to
get them all confused.

I've seen hard copy of one or two books in the pilot shop I've
visited, but that's too expensive. The PDFs appear to contain exactly
the same thing, for free.

And there is plenty more where it comes from; for instance I
understand that you are a simmer, so may be would you also be
interested in reading a bit about instrument flying as well:

Instrument Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-15 Revised 2001;
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/a...ying_handbook/

I have that one.

Instrument Procedures Handbook FAA-H-8261-1 Revised 2004;
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/a...ures_handbook/

Downloading that one now.

And finally, lots of goodies to be found in the regulations (you
might want to start with Chapters 1, 61 and 91 of the regulations,
and read pretty much everything in the AIM):

2005 14 CFR (FAR) and AIM;
http://www.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_polic...a_regulations/

I've read some of this before, but not in depth.

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Wolfgang Schwanke writes:

Most airports have published pattern map though which every pilot is
supposed to read before landing there.

Which documents are these? I looked at airnav.com, but I see only
departure and arrival plates that do not appear to mention patterns.

See and avoid, gazing out the window; the fact that everyone is
supposed to be somewhere in the pattern helps you, because you know
where to look for other planes at all. If airplanes were to be expected
at any altitude or direction, it would be complete chaos and risk of
collisions would rise; the pattern rule helps to avoid this. Calling
out one's own position on the airfield's published frequency in regular
intervals, and listening to other pilot's position reports also helps.
Speed differences aren't really that bad.

I have a hard time finding other traffic in the sim; I hope it is
easier in real life. Of course, turning one's head doesn't work very
well in simulation (PC simulation), but even when I look out the side
windows I don't always see the traffic where ATC tells me to look for
it.

In theory you're supposed to enter/leave the pattern into/out of the
downwind leg (the 45 degree rule mentioned on wikipedia is a US
specific thing AFAIK). In practice pilots often do only the crosswind
or base, and sometimes they even do a straight in landing (which is
considered impolite when there are other pilots in the pattern; but
when there's nobody around what the heck ..).

So what prevents planes from colliding with each other when they are
circling the airport so that they can enter the pattern at the right
spot?

Traditionally I've been aligning with the assigned runway from quite a
distance away, so that I'm already coming straight in by the time I'm
close to the airport. If I have to enter a complicated pattern each
time I approach, it's going to make things a lot more difficult. The
sim's ATC always approves me for a straight-in approach, but perhaps
that is because I prefer to use ILS approaches. I've gotten
instructions for "right downwind" and stuff like that occasionally,
but I haven't paid much attention to them up to now ("now" meaning
since I've bought a joystick).

Full patterns are normally only flown when training take-offs and
landings.

If I had a big airport nearby I'd look for them. The airports here
are way outside town, however.

A single nautical mile seems really short for the legs if there are
jets in the pattern. Even a tiny plane could cover that in less than
30 seconds.

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Roger (K8RI) writes:

Here in the states my cross wind varies from about a city block to
nearly a mile depending on what I'm flying and how bad I want to scare
my passengers.

Doesn't everyone in the pattern have to fly legs of the same length?

A light jet is going to make a one mile base seem pretty short.

If the jet flies longer legs than you do, doesn't that mean that you
have traffic merging into your path at several points in the pattern,
particularly on final?

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Stubby wrote:
All you question will be answered if you buy a copy of FAR/AIM.
"Federal Aviation Regulations / Airman's Information Manual"

In other words,

READ THE ****IN' MANUAL !!!

Mxsmanic wrote:

If the jet flies longer legs than you do, doesn't that mean that you
have traffic merging into your path at several points in the pattern,
particularly on final?

that's the fun of it :-) it all boils down to see and avoid; I have
flown in an uncontrolled field with two crossing runways, often used
simultaneously (well, not quite simultaneously but close) where
everything operates from gliders to jets, warbirds, ultralights,
sky divers, you name it. It never gets boring :-)

--Sylvain

Sylvain writes:

that's the fun of it :-) it all boils down to see and avoid ...

I don't know that I'd consider avoiding an accident fun; but I suppose
it prevents one from dozing off.

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Recently, Mxsmanic posted:

Roger (K8RI) writes:

Here in the states my cross wind varies from about a city block to
nearly a mile depending on what I'm flying and how bad I want to
scare my passengers.

Doesn't everyone in the pattern have to fly legs of the same length?

No.

A light jet is going to make a one mile base seem pretty short.

If the jet flies longer legs than you do, doesn't that mean that you
have traffic merging into your path at several points in the pattern,
particularly on final?

No.

Neil

T o d d P a t t i s t writes:

It is, but not a lot easier until you get closer.

But getting closer is a Bad Thing, isn't it?

This made me think of something else: How many pilots carry
binoculars with them in the cockpit? Seems like they might be useful
in some circumstances, although obviously flying with one hand on the
yoke and another on the binoculars might not always be practical. It
would ease looking for traffic, and would make it easier to identify
landmarks below from a greater distance for VFR flight.

Patterns are defined only loosely. Different speeds are used by
different aircraft or the same aircraft at different times.
Turn locations, turn rate, distance of the legs from the
runway all vary by aircraft and from time to time. The
general idea for non-towered airports is to let the aircraft
space themselves and be able to merge together safely. A
pattern is not even technically required, but most pilots
fly one.

I guess you can space from traffic in front of you or on either side,
but what about traffic behind you? It seems that aircraft have rather
large blind spots as visibility goes.

Also, if you're a big jet and you have a tiny prop aircraft in front
of you, what if you can't slow down enough to avoid overtaking him?

Altitude of the pattern, which may be different for high
speed aircraft or jets.

Direction of turns - left or right.

Sometimes there are published noise abatement procedures,
wind speed/direction or runway slope comments that affect
the direction or positioning of the pattern.

Does noise abatement apply to everyone, or just jets? (I think I
asked this elsewhere, but I don't recall seeing a reply.)

This stuff is in the airport facility directory. Places
like airnav.com and landings.com also have this info.

Can I download the airport directory in PDF?

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