All About Light Sport Aircraft: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: THE SAFER LANDING PATTERN METHOD

I have been reading the debate on patterns with interest. Many people on all sides are making valid points I think. However, I don't personally think there is a one size fits all approach and there are many variables including the individual airfield. Yes, there is an FAA defined standard pattern, but I would be willing to bet that no two people fly it exactly the same, so really, how standard is it? I'm sure the individual who made that comment below had in mind the rectangle with a downwind, base, and final with a certain amount of time wings level in each section of the pattern. How long do the wings have to be level to constitute a valid base leg? How wide of a downwind constitutes too wide? When a plane actually disappears from view? I'm sure people who fly tight patterns and people who fly wide patterns both think they are flying "standard" patterns, and people who fly circling type patterns with no defined base (like me, depending on the situation) feel they are operating safely as well. At least I do, but I also do lots of wing rocking while flying may patterns looking out for other aircraft and I emphasize to students that the turn to final is probably the highest probability of potential conflict of anywhere in the pattern because everyone converges there no matter where they came from or what type aircraft they are flying. Helicopters fly opposite traffic, but still end up on final with you.

My personal pet peeve is BIG patterns. It's actually difficult to spot airplanes at a distance, and they are a waste of time as well. One day I was following a guy on downwind and he extended so far I thought he was simply leaving, so I turned base and final and when he turned around, he discovered that I was between himself and the runway. He was highly annoyed and started yelling on the radio that I had cut in front of him. I responded with, "I'm sorry. I thought you had departed the pattern. If you have to go around, I'll buy you breakfast, but I'm betting I'll actually be parked before you get here." Somebody else actually laughed on the radio at the exchange, and sure enough, I was back parked next to the hold short when he passed in front of me in the flare. I'm sure he thought he was flying a "Standard Pattern". Even though I cut in front of him, I certainly wasn't in his way. In this case, other planes had to guess at his intentions because he pattern was so frigging big. Nobody had to guess whether I was in the pattern or not.

In the FAA advisory circular on the subject (90-66a) it also has recommendations for altitudes for different types of aircraft. The bottom line is that they all will be flown differently by different people and everyone must be on the lookout for each other. Military fighters fly circling steep approaches and you will find them at joint use fields. Airliners and corporate jets using a visual approach will very commonly use circling approaches because it reduces pattern time and saves fuel. Gliders typically fly a circling approach as well. When I'm flying a pattern at a grass strip, I typically use the circling approach and use the opportunity to practice honing my skills for the day when I am trying to hit a small field with no engine. I use a tight aggressive pattern, but in the base turn I will actually rock my wings in the opposite direction to look for traffic making a straight in. I don't really consider that a base, per se, more of a wing rock. I think it's easier to be constantly adjusting a precise touchdown point from a circling approach, so I tend to favor that. And I find it easier to keep traffic in sight if everyone flies a tight pattern as well.

I think the advice below is a good description, with the possible exception of how big the "standard" pattern used actually is. I think that generally, patterns could be much tighter. Here is one of the funniest videos on the subject I have seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6q2VKsvQEQ&feature=player_embedded

Jim

From: Edward Benson

Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 12:05 PM

To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com< /A>

Subject: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: THE SAFER LANDING PATTERN METHOD

From James Meade:

"Circling, square, straight in, whatever. I use what fits the situation

and can do so with safety and consideration for others in each."

Maybe its just me, but "consideration for others" is not what comes to mind when I think of another pilot flying "Circling, square, straight in, whatever".

Are the other planes in the pattern just supposed to guess what you'll do next time around? Remember, some may not have radios.

There's a reason traffic patterns have been standardized over the years - it lets other pilots plan around expected maneuvers by the other planes in the pattern.

At non-towered fields, my students are trained to always: