Traf. pattern at towered apt

jetbimm

New Member
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?
 
They are expecting you to enter on base if they say that. You could of course request a downwind/45 entry (or more specifically clarify that is what you intend to do) if you felt unable to enter on base for whatever reason.
 
It's a little unclear since you said the tower wanted you just to "report" right base. A normal instruction would involve where to enter the patter and subsequently when to report, i.e. ENTER left 45 to the downwind, REPORT abeam the tower.

But with just the instruction to report, it seems you could have arrived at 'right base' however you wanted. Which is what you did. My .02.

Jtsastre
 
If they said "report right base RW 23" you should fly the whole pattern. If they said "enter right base RW 23" you go straight to the base.

Edit: Jtsastre beat me
 
It could be the controller giving you pilot's discretion, but when I hear "report base" or "report 5 mile initial" or "enter left downwind for rwy xx" it is because A) it would make the most sense (usually) and B) the controller is planning on me routing myself in that general direction. I agree that "report L base" could be interpreted as simply a checkpoint in a normal pattern, but if not already established in the traffic pattern then I would probably just go for the easiest option.
 
True, technically the traffic pattern isn't required at all (sort of). But as a student pilot I'd fly the full pattern as a matter of good practice.
 
True, technically the traffic pattern isn't required at all (sort of). But as a student pilot I'd fly the full pattern as a matter of good practice.

Fair enough, non-standard patterns/approaches can certainly create confusion for someone still getting the hang of things. To be honest, I don't think that many controllers would really care much either way, unless your maneuvering onto DW cut someone off or really threw their traffic flow up. Where you might get your head chopped off would be at a very busy airport, such as a Class C or especially a Class B type field. In that environment, you do exactly as they say, to the letter.
 
True, technically the traffic pattern isn't required at all (sort of). But as a student pilot I'd fly the full pattern as a matter of good practice.

Be careful, they might be sequencing you to base for a reason, i.e. there is an airplane in closed traffic on crosswind.

Many times you will get, "report a two mile left base for xx", the really don't want you to fly a two mile downwind. I second that you need to follow exactly what they say, and if you want to go to downwind, ask them.
 
I find it a little unusual that they didn't tell you what they wanted you to do, just gave a reporting point. I always tell you what I want you to do, i.e. make right traffic for runway xx report midfield, make straight in for runway xx report x mile final, enter left/right base for runway xx report x mile base. But if they only told you a reporting point, and that is a reporting point you could give whather you entered downwind, or base, I would say they left that up to you, and you should do whatever you are comfortable doing. You could always confirm "verify N12345 should enter downwind and report base, or enter base?"

sorry for this little hijack, but I have noticed some pilots, when I say to make a straight in for runway xx report x mile final, but they are lets say initially 30 degrees off course of final, will still fly just direct to the airport, and will decide to start their straight in on about a 1/2 mile final, which can annoy me if i'm busy, since I'm planning on you coming straight into the runway since that is what I told you to do. If you want to do something different, most of the time I won't have a problem, and will tell you thats fine, but if things are busy, that can cause a conflict for other traffic. sorry, end hijack
 
It is a bit of phraseology that I have only really heard at busier airports. For student pilot's who often stay close to an uncontrolled or class D airport, I could see how one wouldn't have really heard this. When you do hear it though, that is what they mean.
 
In regards to clestudentpilot's post, I teach my students that when tower gives us a straight-in approach and to report a xx mile final, to get established on a straight-in final if you aren't all ready. A straight-in approach doesn't mean straight to the numbers.

Jtsastre
 
True, technically the traffic pattern isn't required at all (sort of). But as a student pilot I'd fly the full pattern as a matter of good practice.

If they are telling you to report left base, that's where they expect you to enter the pattern. Generally, whatever they tell you to report will be about a mile from where you enter the pattern (2 mile base, 3 mile final are mostly what you'll hear)

If they wanted you to enter downwind, they would have said so. If you want the full pattern, ask.

Also, minimizing time that landing traffic is in the pattern interferes less with T&G aircraft in closed traffic. That's better for everyone.
 
If they are telling you to report left base, that's where they expect you to enter the pattern. Generally, whatever they tell you to report will be about a mile from where you enter the pattern (2 mile base, 3 mile final are mostly what you'll hear)

If they wanted you to enter downwind, they would have said so. If you want the full pattern, ask.

Also, minimizing time that landing traffic is in the pattern interferes less with T&G aircraft in closed traffic. That's better for everyone.


That really hasn't been my experience. Like you said; if they want you to enter at a certain place they'll tell you. If they just want you to "report..." they're probably not worried about sequencing you around other traffic. If that is the case then you can get to that reporting point however you want. If you are a primary student I'd tell you to fly the full pattern to get there.
 
Fair enough, but I agree with what has been said above. That's what they mean when they say that, even if many controllers don't use that phraseology. As was said, it is a way to get everyone onto the runway as efficiently as possible. He/she may be throwing you in front of early DW traffic for spacing, and if you tried to enter on DW you would cause trouble. Again, mostly just a busy airport thing, but it still has a meaning and purpose. If they wanted you to enter on DW, they would specifically say "Enter left downwind for runway xx" or something to that effect.
 
In regards to clestudentpilot's post, I teach my students that when tower gives us a straight-in approach and to report a xx mile final, to get established on a straight-in final if you aren't all ready. A straight-in approach doesn't mean straight to the numbers.

Jtsastre


Yes, that is what I mean, and thank you for doing that, you would be amazed at how many guys think a straight in, means straight to the numbers, not straight in to the runway.

I still say that if the tower does not say how they want you to enter the pattern, that is your discretion then. Telling you where to report does not tell you how to enter the pattern. Again, though, when in doubt, ask. Sometimes you say something that ATC misses, sometimes ATC says something that you miss. We are all human, and we all make mistakes
 
Fair enough, but I agree with what has been said above. That's what they mean when they say that, even if many controllers don't use that phraseology. As was said, it is a way to get everyone onto the runway as efficiently as possible. He/she may be throwing you in front of early DW traffic for spacing, and if you tried to enter on DW you would cause trouble. Again, mostly just a busy airport thing, but it still has a meaning and purpose. If they wanted you to enter on DW, they would specifically say "Enter left downwind for runway xx" or something to that effect.

Agree. Do what the ATC controller says. If you hear "proceed to left base" "make left base Rwy XX" etc, then do just that. Don't enter DW and begin flying your own wants and desires....you may create a conflict you didn't want to create......
 
I see what you guys are saying and in my flying I fly as little pattern as possible to shave a .1 off my time. But I don't think that being told to report a certain point is an implicit direction to enter the pattern there. Why would we have "report" and "enter" if they mean the same thing?
 
I see what you guys are saying and in my flying I fly as little pattern as possible to shave a .1 off my time. But I don't think that being told to report a certain point is an implicit direction to enter the pattern there. Why would we have "report" and "enter" if they mean the same thing?

I was talking about "enter"....a directive statement; rather than "report"...a descriptive statement. Although at the field I'm at, they'll give "report left base" and expect you to fly a base entry......this may or may not be true of all fields. Bottom line, if at all wondering what tower means, query them. Never hurts to ask.
 
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