I have a question that I hope somebody knows. I've tried researching it and can't seem to find a good response. My instructor doesn't know this one either.
I was flying out to a small towered airport last weekend and was headed perpendicular to the runway in use. I was at a good location where I could just about do anything, go straight onto base, just turn downwind, or enter a 45 into the pattern, etc. So, anyway, to get to the point, the tower just wanted me to report right base to runway 23.
The question that I had in my head at that point in time is when you're going to a towered airport, and they just say report final or report left base is it just ok to go ahead and just fly straight onto base/final or do you absolutely need to enter the 45 if you're in position, then downwind, then base, then final? Or does it just not matter at all. Trying to be as safe as a pilot as I can be, I decided to enter the 45 to downwind then base and then final.
Obviously, if the tower tells you to report downwind then you really need to fly the whole pattern, but if they just say report base or final, is flying the pattern "required" I guess is what I'm asking?
I was flying out to a small towered airport last weekend and was headed perpendicular to the runway in use. I was at a good location where I could just about do anything, go straight onto base, just turn downwind, or enter a 45 into the pattern, etc. So, anyway, to get to the point, the tower just wanted me to report right base to runway 23.
The question that I had in my head at that point in time is when you're going to a towered airport, and they just say report final or report left base is it just ok to go ahead and just fly straight onto base/final or do you absolutely need to enter the 45 if you're in position, then downwind, then base, then final? Or does it just not matter at all. Trying to be as safe as a pilot as I can be, I decided to enter the 45 to downwind then base and then final.
Obviously, if the tower tells you to report downwind then you really need to fly the whole pattern, but if they just say report base or final, is flying the pattern "required" I guess is what I'm asking?