In vmc, traffic already in the pattern has the right of way. Even if you
were still ifr, (but in vmc) and conducting an instrument or circling
approach. ATC or FSS cleared you for the approach, not a landing. As you
decided to fly a right hand circuit, you were not in "the circuit".

I believe now, with the CARS out, it is not strictly illegal to simply
join final. It just isn't done. Unless at an airport with a FSS. So the
only thing you really did wrong is cut off traffic in the circuit. And
that happens a lot in Canada and the US. I doubt anything will come of
it, so long as everybody (your partner) learns. And the other guy too....

Considering that the other plan chose to enter a left base, not illegal,
but not recommended, I doubt nothing will come of it. I was an innocent
mistake. Yes he was in the circuit 'technically' but the Pilatipus is
faster and you thought it would be okay to maneuver to join on final.
Reasonable and not a crime.

But to your question, the other guy did have the ROW and you should have
gotten out of his way when the conflict was apparant. It is the law. To
continue the approach was unsafe and unprofessional. And I am sure you
and your partner wnt to call yourselves professionals. I would guess the
other guy cooled down and did nothing for all his hot air.

Also in Canada, if vfr, you can't depart out the downwind at an
uncontrolled airport. You must climb RH to circuit height then you can
turn. IFR departures I believe you must climb to 400 agl unless
otherwise instructed.

The recommended procedure to join a circuit is straight in the downwind,
fly overhead the field and join mid downwind, or maneuver to do such.
Sometimes one will overfly the field 1000' above the circuit, decent on
the "dead side" then fly overhead the field to join the mid left (some
places right) downwind....

The times I have been cut off....., I would like to report somebody
cause I am getting pretty fed up. But I try to remember I'm not perfect
also. Intent is an important consideration. One time I had just turned
final (23) and an Aztec called departing (05). I yelled and screamed on
the radio and they continued. Head to head. So I had to get out of their
way. I did follow up....It was an instructional flight and the
inexperienced instructor was "pushed" into the situation by the gruff
old timer who was getting checked out in the twin. Had the jerk been
pic, I think I woulda...... but as it was the instructor got a good
lesson. (What would you have done?)

The RCMP does actually have jurisdiction. Funny about federal police
forces that way. But they defer enforcement to a section of the DoT
euphemistically called, Regulatory Compliance.




Kingfish wrote:

Had this happen on Sunday up in Ontario. We were flying into Muskoka (a
non-towered field) in the Pilatus and were "cleared" in by Canadian
FSS. (We were IFR but in good VMC wx) We enter on the right downwind to
Rwy 18 and hear another acft on freq - apparently he's NE of the field
entering on the left base. We figure we're quite a bit faster than the
172 and should reach final first. Turns out we're both on opposite
bases at the same altitude at which point my partner says we're lower
and faster and we procede to turn final. Well, the guy in the 172 gets
a bug up his ass and is whining to FSS that he had to take "evasive
action" to avoid us - not even close - and makes some comment about
calling the RCMP (like they actually have jurisdiction here?). I know
the rule about the acft on final having right of way, but neither of us
had reached that point yet, and both acft were at the same altitude on
opposite bases. Who had the ROW?