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On a normal weekend, there is an average 6-10 aircraft in the pattern, or entering, throughout the day.
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Damn!
I don't think I've ever sharred the pattern with more than 3 or 4, and I used to fly out of a class C airport. Sounds like somebody needs to splurge and get themselves a tower.
I'm not sure but I think its in the Sierra SOP to enter the 45 at TPA. You should look into it and point it out to your instructor if it is in there.
I think while skimming the above posts that I read that some were suggesting overflying the field as an alternative to entering on the 45? Not sure I follow that. You still have to enter the traffic pattern somehow, so that still leaves the question of whether or not to enter on the 45 and whether or not to enter the 45 at TPA. What I've always done is call the CTAF about 10 miles out for advisories. If I get no response I'll overfly 1000 ft above TPA to check for wind and traffic. If I do get a response (and deturmine the active runway in the process) it will depend on how easy it is to get on the 45. If it is on the oposite side of the airport I'll overfly, if its on the same side I'll just enter on the 45 and plan to be at TPA a couple miles from the field. If I overfly I'll tun 90 degrees to the runway in the direction of the pattern. Fly for about one minute while descending at about 500 FPM then teardrop around to the 45 continuing the descent which will put me on the 45 at TPA about a mile and a half or so from the field depending on groundspeed of course. There are exceptions however. For example at Byron (C83) they do a lot of parachute jumping. My first instructor told me a story how he had a near miss with a "meat missle" because he overflew and the pilot flying the jumpers aparently did not monitor the CTAF where my instructor had made repeated calls asking if there were any jumpers in the area. Because of that he taught me to always make a wide circle and plan to enter on the 45 at TPA at any airport with skydivers. Also makes me think twice about skydiving.
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Excellent technique for entering the pattern. Perfect.
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I don't think I've ever sharred the pattern with more than 3 or 4, and I used to fly out of a class C airport. Sounds like somebody needs to splurge and get themselves a tower.
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Oh, it can get verrryyyy interesting at some of these uncontrolled airports!! 6 planes? Easy day here at Tune!!
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What I've always done is call the CTAF about 10 miles out for advisories. If I get no response I'll overfly 1000 ft above TPA to check for wind and traffic. If I do get a response (and deturmine the active runway in the process) it will depend on how easy it is to get on the 45. If it is on the oposite side of the airport I'll overfly, if its on the same side I'll just enter on the 45 and plan to be at TPA a couple miles from the field. If I overfly I'll tun 90 degrees to the runway in the direction of the pattern. Fly for about one minute while descending at about 500 FPM then teardrop around to the 45 continuing the descent which will put me on the 45 at TPA about a mile and a half or so from the field depending on groundspeed of course. There are exceptions however. For example at Byron (C83) they do a lot of parachute jumping. My first instructor told me a story how he had a near miss with a "meat missle" because he overflew and the pilot flying the jumpers aparently did not monitor the CTAF where my instructor had made repeated calls asking if there were any jumpers in the area. Because of that he taught me to always make a wide circle and plan to enter on the 45 at TPA at any airport with skydivers.
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Yeah that's exactly what I've been taught when going over to Byron or any other uncontrolled airport. Not to get off topic but how often do you fly over to Byron? Surprised anyone else knows about that small airport.
Ya. Ok I know what you mean. I have decided that I will descend for the first half of the 45 and try to reach TPA a least a few miles out from turning downwind. That way we can all be eye level and have a better chance spotting traffic against the sky rather than at ground clutter.
I also know what you mean about the skydivers around here. The parachute pilots at Byron must of gotten better or learned their lesson because they now always announce jumpers away and tell planes to stay clear for a few minutes while they descend.
Although Lodi is another story. After repeated traffic calls (15,10 5 nm out) I overfly the field and moments later a pilot gets on the radio telling us to get the heck out of the area because sky divers are on their way down. Not once did they announce jumpers away or respond to our traffic reports to overfly the field.
Here is the e-mail RESPONSE I got from the FAA examiner when I asked him about his reasonings to not descend on the 45: Hi:
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"Regarding descending on the 45....
When was the last time you heard of an engine failure near the 45? That argument is lost to how many accidents there are by collisions in the traffic pattern.
The reason not to descend on the 45 is because it's very difficult to see other traffic when looking from above. They tend to mix in the ground clutter. It's by far easier to see traffic when you are at eye level. This is also explained in the AIM and Airplane Flying Handbook. Just look at N4421W and N36574's NTSB reports regarding this. These airplanes are ones that I use today that were almost totalled in Hollister in the pattern.
Not to get off topic but how often do you fly over to Byron? Surprised anyone else knows about that small airport.
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Quite often actually. Probaly at least as often as you do. Remember I also fly out of LVK now.
Also a little known fact, is the San Francisco sectional is a figure on the commercial written exam and I think there is a question about Byron on there. So although hidden in an obscure place in long term memory, every commercial pilot who has taken the written in the last few years should have at least heard of it. I really enjoyed the questions about LVK's and OAK's airspace. Didn't even need to refer to the figure.
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I don't think I've ever sharred the pattern with more than 3 or 4, and I used to fly out of a class C airport. Sounds like somebody needs to splurge and get themselves a tower.
