ATC and traffic patterns

Maurus

Maurus

The Great Gazoo
So today a jet came into my airport that was asked by ATC to do a right pattern. The airport is non-towered but it is Class E down to the ground (if that would have anything to do with it). The standard pattern at my airport is a left pattern.

Is ATC able to dictate a change of pattern like this? Last I checked the FAA was trying to crack down on jets and other airplanes from flying the opposite pattern at un-towered airports.
 
Class E is controlled, so there's not really any reason that ATC couldn't dictate a change. Presumably there was a traffic conflict (or possibly a nearby obstruction, TFR, etc.) the controller was avoiding, but it may have been that the controller was just unfamiliar with the landing pattern. Perhaps he mistook your airport for another field with a right-hand pattern.

You could ask if he was aware that the normal pattern for runway XX was left, see if you get an explanation. Unless you get one of the cranky ones, they shouldn't have any problem telling you the rationale.
 
My guess is that he was aware of the nascar pattern at the field, and did that to seperate the jet traffic from the other local traffic. Makes sense as turbojets often fly at a different pattern altitude, have a wider abeam/downwind, and are normally also overtaking light civil traffic. IMHO it's easier to see (if you are looking) traffic to the side or in front of me than below and behind me. At the local civilian field here, they regularly sequence us in 600' above light traffic, and often request non-standard things (such as an opposite pattern) for deconfliction. It beats doing 360's on downwind, which we have also on occaison had to do.
 
I'm at a towered airport, but even though we're published left hand pattern for 17, they put faster planes in the right hand for spacing reasons. Its just common practice
 
I had to ask because the FAA has been cracking down on that practice at non-towered airports. Not to mention the wide amount of helicopters using a right pattern and also many people entering the left pattern on the upwind.

I understand towered airports using multiple sides, but they have control over what going on in their airspace where ATC at a non-towered airport (class e to the ground or not) doesn't have that ability.

Just learning new stuff.
 
Maurus said:
So today a jet came into my airport that was asked by ATC to do a right pattern. The airport is non-towered but it is Class E down to the ground (if that would have anything to do with it). The standard pattern at my airport is a left pattern.

Is ATC able to dictate a change of pattern like this? Last I checked the FAA was trying to crack down on jets and other airplanes from flying the opposite pattern at un-towered airports.
Click to expand...

Right for 7 or 25? I heard they want to start disallowing to the north, but never been asked to. Usually they want to get rid of me on my returns, maybe they just dont like me :(
 
It was right traffic for 25. I just found it weird that they would do that. then again CAK is using 1-19 pretty much continuously till 23's extension is finished. Could have something to do with that.
 
If there's no tower the flight crew may elect any entry they wish unless being radar controlled (excluding vfr advisories) by a radar facility. The absence of a control tower leaves it open to the pilot. On the other hand, unless of an IFR approach procedure or something, most traffic patterns that have a published direction are sometimes for the sole purpose of noise abatement as well as what was said earlier about obstructions, etc.
 
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