By Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091
This piece originally ran in Robert’s Stick and Rudder column in the February 2022 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
It was a typical fall day when I entered the pattern at Block Island (KBID) off the Rhode Island coast. I had been watching the traffic on my ADS-B and slipped into the pattern behind a Cessna. But when I tried to locate the aircraft visually, the pattern seemed empty. Another look at the zoomed-in ADS-B display told me the story. The pilot had flown his downwind leg about 2 miles south of the runway and then turned a base that would line him up for a 2.5-mile final. I slowed down to give the pilot time to fly his pattern and extended my downwind to achieve the needed spacing on final.
Regardless of where we’re going, sizing up the pattern is a vital element in making a safe arrival. But to do it safely and correctly requires us to get started long before we arrive at the airport.
Tune in the Weather
The first step, typically when we’re 10 miles or so out, is to get a handle on the weather situation at our destination. For towered airports, that’s the automatic terminal information service; for nontowered airports, we tune in the automated surface observing system and automated weather observing system, listen to other aircraft for the landing runway, or make a call on the common traffic advisory frequency. The primary objective, of course, is to determine the winds and runway in use and to get a sense of the wind correction that may be needed when we reach the pattern.
Listen to the Traffic
Once we have the weather information (or if it wasn’t available), we should listen in to the appropriate frequency to get a sense of what’s going on, who is in the pattern, and who is approaching the airport from where. If we don’t know already, this will often provide clues as to the runway in use. More importantly, it will help us get a mental image of where other aircraft are.
Complete the Checklist
The closer we get to the airport, the busier we become, and the less we can accommodate distractions. With that simple fact in mind, we should complete our prelanding checklist before entering the pattern.
The Entry
Armed with the winds, weather, and traffic, our next goal is to safely enter the pattern. At a towered airport, ATC will likely tell us where or how to enter the pattern, and for which runway. But in a nontowered field, it’s up to us to sort out such details. If the geometry works out, we can make the 45-degree entry at pattern altitude. If we’re on the wrong side of the airport, we might overfly the pattern at 500 to 1,000 feet above pattern altitude and then make a descending turn to initiate our 45-degree entry at pattern altitude.
In some cases, we might be practicing an instrument approach, which requires some additional care and planning. Especially if we’re making a straight-in approach to the runway, the potential for conflict with other aircraft can be high. Typically, we follow the published procedure and then modify it as necessary to merge with other traffic and avoid any disruptions to the normal traffic flow.
Measuring Up
Pilots might fly an exaggerated (enlarged) traffic pattern, especially when they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the airport or the situation. But a better plan is to keep it consistent using the cues we learn early in our training. In general, we fly the pattern a half-mile to a mile away from the airport, so on downwind we should be able to look down at a roughly 30-degree angle and see the runway. If we’re looking down at a steeper angle to see the runway, we may be too close to make normal turns to base and final. If the runway appears at a lower angle, our pattern may be too big, putting us in a less desirable position. We should maintain pattern altitude until we’re adjacent to our point of intended landing, then reduce power to start our descent and add a notch of flaps as appropriate. When the runway is 30 to 45 degrees behind us, we start our turn onto the base leg, perhaps adding a second notch of flaps. Here I like to check for traffic on final and on the opposite base — just in case. We then start our turn to final so we line up with the runway.
One factor that can cause problems in the pattern is high winds. If we fail to make the appropriate wind correction, we can easily end up out of position and struggling to correct. A stiff crosswind can cause us to fly an exceptionally wide or tight downwind, making it difficult to recover and get properly aligned on final. Likewise, a strong tailwind on downwind can easily push us into a longer final leg than desired. To avoid such errors, we need to take stock of wind conditions and use appropriate wind corrections.
On Final
The objective on final is to maintain a stabilized approach. At 500 feet AGL, we should be configured for landing, at a steady airspeed and on glide path. For a normal 3-degree glide path, we should be 300 feet up for every mile we are distant from the touchdown point. So, at a mile and a half final, we should be at about 500 feet AGL. If we’re higher, then our approach is likely too steep. If lower, our approach may be dangerously shallow.
Making the Adjustments
Often, particularly at busy airports, we must modify our pattern to accommodate traffic, terrain, and other factors. We may need to make some adjustments to maintain proper separation and safety, especially when mixing it up with high-performance (i.e., faster) aircraft or those less experienced or familiar. To enhance safety, we should always maintain a high degree of professionalism and use our skills and judgment to make up for the challenges faced by others.
One way we can help reshape a pattern is to adjust our speed — within reason. At large airports, we might be requested to “expedite” our approach or maintain a minimum speed that perhaps even approaches our cruise speed. In such scenarios, we need to take careful stock of our capabilities and not be pressured into a situation that we’re ill-prepared to deal with.
Another tactic is to modify the geometry of our pattern entry or pattern. It can be relatively easy to shorten or lengthen a leg by a half-mile or so by changing where we begin our 45-degree entry, or where we fly our pattern. By extending the professional courtesy to modify our pattern, we can keep the pattern safe while making allowances for different types of aircraft, operations, and pilots.
On this day on Block Island, the pilot with the exaggerated traffic pattern didn’t cause any major disruptions. It was easy to adjust the pattern to ensure safe separation. However, on a busy summer day, such a failure to size up a pattern properly could have led to serious conflict, confusion, and chaos. In retrospect, it may have been the strong winds out of the northwest that caused the pilot to unintentionally fly a wide pattern. Especially at an unfamiliar, nontowered airport, it can be easy to size up the pattern poorly. But with an early start on our planning and the right cues, we’re more likely to fly consistent patterns and avoid any chaos.
Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor, commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.