Fun in the pattern at KDVN

[Tommay85]

Ok so I was out practicing crosswind landings today.

Today must have been the day all the doctors and guys out to get there hundred dollar burgers were out. (no offense to you doctors) T
here were a ton of idiots out with their heads up their butts.

On one circle in perticular, I was on downwind and there was a guy waiting to take off. He said he had me in site and asked ME if he had time to take off. I told him I wasn't the pilot of his airplane. I mean, how the hell do I know what he or his airplane can do. He then decided to take off in front of me while I was on short final.

Another guy came in from some random direction like 300 feet below patter altitude not saying a thing and then jimmys it onto final and lands.

A different guy did the same thing and took out the last set of approach lights at the end of the runway. From my perspective it looked like he was about 100 yards from the end and tried to turn final and got to low.

I think I better go across the river to Quad City (KMLI) and rent over there. My airport is starting to scare me.

Im sure Im not the only one whos had to fly with these incompetents. Im sure someone on here's dealt with worse.

Oh and 9 of the 12 landings were so greasy it was disgusting.

Tom

 

[av8rmsu]

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On one circle in perticular, I was on downwind and there was a guy waiting to take off. He said he had me in site and asked ME if he had time to take off. I told him I wasn't the pilot of his airplane. I mean, how the hell do I know what he or his airplane can do. He then decided to take off in front of me while I was on short final.

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Why not just tell him no, or be courteous and tell him you will make some extra space. I do power-off 180s at some uncontrolled fields and turn base as soon as I stablize my airspeed abeam the numbers. It doesn't take me long to land.

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Another guy came in from some random direction like 300 feet below patter altitude not saying a thing and then jimmys it onto final and lands.


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Two-way radio communication is not required, but the pilot is supposed to comply with 91.126. I hate it when people don't follow "normal procedure", but people do it all the time. Besides, I don't think the FARs say anything about altitude in the pattern, at least not in 91.126. Complacency is a killer at controlled and uncontrolled fields. Gotta keep your eyes open at all times.

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Im sure Im not the only one whos had to fly with these incompetents. Im sure someone on here's dealt with worse.



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I don't know if I would call them incompetent. Just not following procedures that you would follow. It's like going to an airport for the first time and not following their little "local" noise abatement procedures that aren't published. I had this happen to me one time. This guy was giving me hell about flying over a golf course...I asked him to show me in the AFD where the noise abatement procedure was published. He told me that I should have known better....give me a break.

 

[EatSleepFly]

Thats what I like about flying out of an airport whos activity is almost entirely students- between our FBO and the university. At first it sounds like it would be mayhem, but in reality, its quite nice. Most of the time, everyone is really courteous to others in the pattern and we just all mesh well overall. Since everyone is training, everyone does things by the book. The only issues I've ever had with people in the pattern there were caused by transient aircraft. When I take students to other airports occupied primarily by weekend warriors and old geezers, it is an obvious difference. Theres some people out there flying around who shouldn't be, that is for sure.

 

[sigmanu499]

Thats true is the transient aircraft that are not really sure that is normal for that airport. Although, some pilots really do have their head up their butts.

 

[tonyw]

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Although, some pilots really do have their head up their butts.

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You mean like the guy who taxied onto the runway the other day when I was on final?

I'm like, how the hell did you not hear me making my calls and how did you not see me before you taxied onto the runway?

And how did you get your ticket if you're going to blow off something as fundamental as making sure that nobody's using the runway before you taxi onto it?

 

[sbe]

Some people just want assurance that what they are doing is right. I've had people ask me before, when I've been in the pattern, if they had time or would be able to do this or that relative to my current position, and I at least try to help them out. If anything, at least I know that they know where I am...I'd rather have them ask then decide erroneously that they have time to do something.

And radios aren't required or always even in an aircraft. I did my seaplane rating in a nordo Cub, from a lake adjacent to a VERY busy uncontrolled field.

Yes, there are lots of people out there that make you wonder how they ever passed a checkride. It's up to us to see and avoid and stay on top of what everyone's doing at all times. Uncontrolled fields are always going to have an element of surprise - the dude in the Bonanza that tries to squeeze in on the 45 to downwind when you're already on downwind headed right at him, causing you to do a 360 for spacing; the person who wanders onto the runway when you are on a quasi-short final; the person who flies left pattern to a runway that is published as a right pattern. Or those guys who carry on a conversation about this new gym they've joined on UNICOM.

It's all part of the game and you'll see it at every airport unless you find one that's really sleepy. And controlled fields aren't any better necessarily.

You've just got to grin, bear it, do what you can to be safe and know for yourself that you're not the type of pilot to do boneheaded stuff like that, nor will you be the type of instructor that will allow your students to either...

Sarah

 

[Tommay85]

I guess I didnt word it right on the first incident. I did tell him if he thought he could get out of the way in time he could go. I guess I was so irritated about him taking off while I was on short final that I didnt type that.

I havent found anything in the FAR's either (just kind of quickly skimmed though) but to be safe I think its just better to do things the standard way. I mean they didnt come up with a traffic pattern for the hell of it.

It also seems that everyone it taking out the last set of approach lights every couple of months. If you follow the VASI's all the way down you'll still have fifty feet to go when crossing the displaced threashold.

Davenport has class E airspace too.

Tom