The viewing angle forward is almost completely obstructed by the engine of this Stearman, a trait that is common for many taildraggers of that vintage.
The traffic mixture at an uncontrolled airport can include everything from Stearmans and gliders giving aerial tours to student pilots practicing touch-and-goes and R-22s practicing autorotations, all in the same traffic pattern.
This mix of traffic safely coexists without a control tower when all pilots are following the recommended operations and communications procedures. The consequences of one aircraft not following the recommended operations or communications procedures can endanger other aircraft.
This situation occurred in November 1996 when an incoming United Express Beechcraft 1900 collided with a Beechcraft King Air, which failed to report its intent to take off on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) at the non-towered Quincy Airport in Illinois. Twelve people on board the Beech 1900 and two on the King Air were killed.
A separate fatal accident involving two aerial firefighting aircraft occurred over Ramona, California on June 21, 1995. Both the Douglas C-54G Skymaster and the Beech Baron 58P were on a fire suppression mission with the U.S. Forest Service. After completing their tasks over a wildfire, they proceeded to the uncontrolled airport for a 360-deg. “overhead” approach.
The pattern procedure was contrary to the airport’s official information, which showed a standard 45-deg. entry to downwind with left hand turns for both Runway 27 and 09. Transmissions were heard from Baron on the Forest Service’s tactical frequency when the plane was within 10 mi. of the airport.
Only moments before the collision did the pilot of the Baron announce his position on the CTAF. The twin-engine airplane struck the vertical stabilizer of the Douglas C-54G while descending. Both pilots on the Skymaster and the pilot in the Baron were killed. Residences and vehicles underneath the collision were also destroyed.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the midair collision to be the inadequate visual lookout by the Beech 58P pilot, and the operator’s inadequate procedures concerning 360-deg. overhead approaches.
Standard Traffic Patterns
The FAA stresses that observance of a standard traffic pattern and the use of proper communication procedures as detailed in Advisory Circular 90-66B, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations, will improve the safety and efficiency of aeronautical operations at airports without operating control towers.
Perhaps you sometimes operate into an uncontrolled airport with a mix of flight activities. Many of us similarly enjoy our recreational aviation at these types of airports. Let’s review key aspects of that advisory circular to make certain we are all “singing off the same sheet of music” in regard to our pattern procedures and communications.
At airports without operating control towers, Part 91 requires that pilots of aircraft approaching to land make all turns to the left, unless light signals, visual markings to include the segmented circle or official airport publications indicate that turns should be made to the right. Right turns may exist due to special circumstances, such as the proximity of nearby terrain or airspace. If other traffic is present in the pattern, arriving or departing aircraft should use the same runway.
The FAA does not regulate traffic pattern entry, only traffic pattern flow. Traffic pattern entry information is advisory. The FAA encourages pilots use the standard traffic pattern when arriving or departing a non-towered airport.
The advisory circular recognizes there are occasions when a pilot can choose to execute a straight-in approach for landing when not intending to enter the traffic pattern. Pilots should clearly communicate on the CTAF and avoid disrupting the flow of other aircraft. Pilots in the traffic pattern should be alert for aircraft conducting straight-in landings, particularly when flying a base leg prior to turning final.
An aircraft on an instrument approach flying on the final approach course to land would follow the requirements dictated by the approach procedures. However, aircraft on IFR approaches should avoid interrupting the flow of traffic and should be aware that they do not have priority over the VFR traffic.
Traffic Pattern Entry
Prior to entering the traffic pattern, aircraft should avoid the flow of traffic until established on the entry leg. When the runway in use and proper traffic pattern direction have been determined, the pilot should then proceed to a point well clear of the pattern before descending to and entering at pattern altitude.
The standard entry to the downwind leg should be at a 45-deg. angle abeam the midpoint of the runway at the pattern altitude. All similar types of aircraft, including those entering on the 45-deg. angle to downwind or those aircraft flying over the midfield and turning onto the downwind directly, should be at the same pattern altitude so that it is easier to visually acquire any traffic in the pattern.
Note, it may not be possible to enter a downwind pattern on a 45-deg. angle at airports that sit in close proximity to steep terrain. Another precaution is when a portion of the traffic pattern lies on the downwind side of this terrain, susceptible to wind conditions that create adverse downdrafts and/or turbulence. Local pilots, especially in under-powered light aircraft or gliders who have knowledge of a localized weather effect are likely to have an alternate (and possibly unwritten) pattern entry.
The FAA’s advisory circular highlights the specific danger created by descending into the traffic pattern, and this is reinforced by the circumstances that contributed to the mid-air collision between the two aerial firefighting aircraft in Ramona, California.
The standard traffic pattern altitude is 1,000 ft. AGL, unless otherwise specified. Large and turbine-powered aircraft should enter the traffic pattern at an altitude of 1,500 ft. AGL (or 500 ft. above the published pattern altitude.)
An astute reader, an airline pilot who flies war birds and tows gliders for recreational flying, noted the tendency of incoming jet traffic to an uncontrolled airport in a mountainous area to call “downwind” when 5,000 ft. above the airport and still 10 mi. away. Ground crews for the glider operation waste precious amounts of time trying to locate such aircraft when it is assumed that the aircraft is on a “normal” downwind.
We offer further best practices for flying into non-towered airports in Part 2 of this article.
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