I’d like to make a confession.
The truth is I like to think of myself as a reasonable guy, a nice guy, the kind of guy who would not just lend, but actually give away, a cup of sugar if a neighbor came by asking for one.
Be that as it may, I don’t always agree with the folks managing my local airport. They sometimes do things that make no sense to me, financially or in terms of marketing the facilities. On other occasions I find they don’t take an appropriate interest in the visionary ideas I share with them. They just don’t seem to care.
This can be tremendously frustrating.
Based on comments shared with me in conversation, and notes that slip in through my email, I gather I’m not the only one with this particular grievance.
Just the other day I spoke with a fellow who was fairly worked up that his home airport, a non-towered facility, had a published right-hand traffic pattern. Well, there’s just no need for it to be a right-hand pattern, he explained. Maybe there was a rationale once, but that logic has gone away thanks to residential and commercial development that has led to new obstacles near the airport on the traffic pattern side.
I commiserated with this decent, honestly concerned man who wanted nothing more than to get what he wanted because it was the right thing to do. I felt a little badly for him. His reasoning was sound. A left-hand traffic pattern is the standard, so why not institute the standard pattern when the conditions that led to the establishment of a non-standard pattern have changed? Changed to the point that a standard pattern makes as much sense, or maybe more, sense than the non-standard pattern that has been in use there for so many years.
This particular individual was insistent, but very polite in his argument. I’ve met others who fuss and yell as they vent about their particular situation.
In each case the airport management just won’t budge. They just do what they want with no interest at all given to the local pilots who use, promote, and support the airport.
Or so it seems.
Some view these disagreements as a personal affront. They take real offense at the disconnect between administrators and users. They sometimes encourage me to do something, as if I have magical powers of persuasion that will rectify the situation in the user’s favor.
In truth, I’m glib, but not nearly gifted enough to solve every complaint that comes my way. In fact, I have the exact same problem at my local airport.
Although I carry five FAA certificates in my wallet, have decades of experience, a long history of helping out whenever I can, and a track record that includes promotion of the wonders of my local airport to the point of almost being shameless, they don’t listen to me a bit. I’m just another local with an opinion they don’t want to be bothered with.
Now, lest you believe I have a bad relationship with my airport’s administration, let me share with you some pertinent perspective.
My wife is the great, stable rock in my life. I think the world of her. For 30 years she’s been there for me and shows no sign of pulling up stakes and moving out. But she and I disagree on pretty much everything. We always have.
On the subject of how to raise the kids, we have very different beliefs. Our perspectives are often completely incompatible. Similarly, our theories of how to handle money are so wildly divergent we have kept our finances separate for our entire marriage. We just can’t find common ground on that topic. Not a bit. Even the idea of buying the house we live in led to a spirited discussion about size, cost, upkeep, and interior design. My view lost out at pretty much every turn in those exchanges. Still, we bought the house.
All that is true. Yet we managed to raise kids who grew up to be reasonably successful adults with jobs, bright futures, and better than average social skills. We somehow manage to pay our bills on time and still have a few bucks left over to enjoy life with, and although the house was a big decision and will remain a work-in-progress for many years to come, we’re very happy here. With any luck at all I’ll spend the rest of my days in this big old drafty wood frame shack.
The long and the short of it is, relationships are hard. Whether personal or professional, romantic or platonic, private or public, relationships take work.
Often, the key to building a workable relationship that has real value is to take the long view. It’s not about winning every argument. It’s not about winning any argument. It’s more about avoiding arguments altogether. Take a step back, recognize that virtually every disagreement you’ll find is centered around a subjective issue and things get a bit easier. More productive, even.
There may be no right or wrong. Because the topics are subjective, there are multiple options to consider. None are perfect. Not even the one you are most attached to.
A productive relationship is far more rewarding than an unproductive one. And just to be clear, if one party raises their voice or disparages the character of their counterpart during a debate, that relationship needs a trip to the shop for some much-needed repair.
You can’t bully, insult, or coerce another into joining you in a successful relationship. You can accept that you won’t get everything you want, however. And with that decision, explained with care and respect, you may gain a level of respect and appreciation that makes each subsequent disagreement somewhat more likely to be resolved in a way you find palatable.
Knowing all that, let’s see how we might be able to become a valuable asset to our local administrators, rather than a thorn in their side. Your grandmother wasn’t wrong about this sort of thing. Honey catches more flies than vinegar ever will.
The “left hand turns” don’t JUST apply to airports with Class G airspace (91.126).
Here’s the pertinent chunks:
§ 91.127 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class E airspace.
(a) Unless otherwise required by part 93 of this chapter or unless otherwise authorized or required by the ATC facility having jurisdiction over the Class E airspace area, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an airport in a Class E airspace area must comply with the requirements of § 91.126.
(Which INCLUDES the left hand turns)
(b) Departures. Each pilot of an aircraft must comply with any traffic patterns established for that airport in part 93 of this chapter…..
91.129 Operations in Class D airspace.
(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized or required by the ATCfacility having jurisdiction over the Class D airspace area, each person operating an aircraft in Class D airspace must comply with the applicable provisions of this section. In addition, each person must comply with 91.126 and 91.127. For the purpose of this section, the primary airport is the airport for which the Class D airspace area is designated. A satellite airport is any other airport within the Class D airspace area.
(f) Approaches.Except when conducting a circling approach under part 97 of this chapter or unless otherwise required by ATC, each pilot must –
(1) Circle the airport to the left, if operating an airplane; or
As Jamie basically points out, airport traffic pattern FLOW is definitely regulated (mandated) by FAR 91.126(a) and (b), which state in part:
91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace.
(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized or required, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an airport in a Class G airspace area must comply with the requirements of this section.
(b) Direction of turns. When approaching to land at an airport without an operating control tower in Class G airspace –
(1) Each pilot of an airplane MUST (emphasis added) make all turns of that airplane to the left unless the airport displays approved light signals or visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, in which case the pilot must make all turns to the right;
Additional more complete information and guidance are provided in FAA Advisory Circular 90-66B. In Section 8.2.1 of this AC, it is specifically stated that “The FAA does not regulate traffic pattern entry, only traffic pattern flow. ”
So, while the information in the AIM and in this AC related to pattern ENTRY may only be advisory in nature (although it is obviously good practice), traffic pattern FLOW is definitely clearly mandated by regulation and all pilots must therefore legally comply with it. Of course, as with any pilot-in-command emergency authority, this excludes action the pilot feels necessary to deal with an emergency.
As one of AOPA’s traveling Air Safety Institute instructors, I hear about this type of issue, among many others, everywhere, all the time. I may get a little off point, but:
It’s become the Wild West out there in many respects. It’s not just about the left or right pattern direction; it’s everything from pattern entries, to altitudes, to speeds, to radio calls (or lack thereof) and the inappropriate CB “trucker talk“ going on, to not using a recommended calm wind runway (“I don’t care that 3 planes are landing in the opposite direction”), to ignoring published noise abatement procedures (“I’m not doing that, it’s just dumb”), to right-of-way issues (“get out of my way, I’m more important than you”), to……pick a feature.
I think airports, especially non-towered ones, develop their own cultures, including
competing/adversarial cliques, and informal ‘chains of command’. There is also no doubt that airport operations and management are subjected to powerful local influence.
There are operators, both individuals and organizations, that either bend or ignore AIM recommendations and FARs to suit their purposes, at the risk of everyone’s safety.
Things are so bad at one airport in my area, we tried to get our regional FAAST program manager, along with the AOPA Regional Manager, involved, to help bring some sanity-to no avail.
All this leads to an environment where folks aren’t going to change their behavior until something bad happens.
There seems to be a growing attitude that if you broadcast your intentions on the radio then you are free to fly whatever pattern is most convenient.
Some of the worst offenders seem to be instructors from towered airports, unfortunately they are also teaching this behavior to their students.
I have been living on a residential airpark with a busy flight school for 39 years and don’t remember it ever being as much of a problem as it is now.
Pilots can use different runways and different entries. Sometimes the objective of one flight may be normal approaches, another flight cross-wind approaches, and a third flight practice instrument approaches (straight-in’s). Each one has the same privileges or access to the airport. Once I was able to do cross-wind landings on runway 18 while another aircraft did normal approaches on runway 27. We talked to the other airplane, they didn’t have any problem with it, and we maintained communication and very safe spacing. The FAA notes that entries like straight-in’s can be made as long as that flight doesn’t disrupt the flow of traffic already established. Bottom line, my point is that everyone doesn’t have to follow the leader and make a 45 degree entry to the downwind for landing into the wind. The FAA provides a good deal of flexibility which is a good thing because we all have different and proper objectives. Sometimes the pattern may already be occupied with multiple aircraft and something like crosswind landings or instrument approaches just aren’t going to be possible.
I don’t have any issues with crosswind landing practice or instrument approaches, both of my home airports are single runway with no instrument approaches. The biggest concern is someone announcing and flying a right hand pattern at an airport with a prescribed left hand pattern.
I also don’t do straight in’s because I like to check the runway and windsock before committing to the approach. Also two of my airplanes have very limited forward visibility and I prefer to fly a close pattern with a slip into the flare and keeping a close eye on aircraft in the run-up area. Announcing your departure without doing a clearing turn is also becoming more common.
Agree not flying the correct pattern is a very big concern. Could you expand on the clearing turn for departure – not sure specifically what that’s about. Thanks.
Doing a 360 degree turn in the run up area to scan for traffic around the field just prior to taxiing onto the runway at a non-towered airport.
Where I fly now (4B8 Plainville, CT) they used to do that. But then the runway was lengthened and with all of the repaving there is no longer any room for a 360 at either end. And actually that is the only airport where I have ever seen that done.
I have always found it amazing that many times those that are in charge at airports have little or no aviation experience…….
I have always found it amazing that any times those that are in charge at airports have little or no aviation experience…….
The FAA being a perfect example!
Jamie,
I have been a based customer at Lewis University Airport, (KLOT) for more than
20 years.
I heard and discussed problems with my fellow pilots based there.
I became the AOPA’s ASN about 12 years ago, and then managed to get appointed to the Board that owns and operates the airport.
Non paid position, by the way, and I’m the only pilot on the Board.
I agree with you that getting involved puts things in a whole different perspective.
I am still “the guy” that the other pilots vent to, but I can give a serious response that seems to make sense to most of them.
We are going to be putting in a tower in the next year or so, and that has opened up a new can of worms that I never anticipated.
It should be interesting, to say the least.
I’d like to stay in touch and perhaps build a story from this.
Best wishes and congratulations, Jamie. Out of curiosity,… did you raise your family in a left-hand pattern or a right-hand pattern? Not that it makes anymore difference than it does with airports!
Agreed. I still have bruises and a flat spot on my forehead from trying it the other way.
Another nice job, Jamie! Doing my little bit of aviation advocacy work, I try to encourage people to talk with each other before bringing in the ‘big guns’. No matter if the big guns are the FAA, airport management, or even advocacy organizations. Or worst of the worst, the legal system!
The AIM is not regulatory. So non-towered traffic patterns and how to fly them are also not regulatory. Even a radio is not required setting up a whole new class of craziness at these facilities. Non towered airports are by far the most dangerous structures in aviation. Maybe get others to join you in your quest to change the airport…but as you say, if you don’t have a review process by more than one person you are likely doomed to the fancies and foibles of a single voice in control of operations.
Gbigs, although you are correct in saying the AIM is not regulatory, you’ve made a common error in your thinking about non-towered airport ops. Part 91 is clear when it states that pilots shall fly a left hand pattern at runways where left patterns are in use, right hand patterns where they are being employed. That’s a regulation, not a recommendation. The FAA isn’t secretive about this. Unfortunately too many pilots are either ignorant of the rule or are too deeply entrenched in their own ego to care.
Please feel free to spread the word.
Jamie, could you provide the reference in Part 91 for required pattern directions? All I can find is this reference in Part 91.126 (b) Departures. Each pilot of an aircraft must comply with any traffic patterns established for that airport in part 93 of this chapter. And Part 93 only describes “Special Air Traffic Rules and Airport Traffic Patterns for a handful specific airports.
This is from https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b6c37096d63bc9be0422d6e08dff023c&mc=true&node=pt14.2.91&rgn=div5. Not sure where you saw ‘Departures’,etc.
“91.126 (b) Direction of turns. When approaching to land at an airport without an operating control tower in Class G airspace—
(1) Each pilot of an airplane must make all turns of that airplane to the left unless the airport displays approved light signals or visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, in which case the pilot must make all turns to the right
Often overlooked….14 CFR Part 1:
“ Traffic pattern means the traffic flow that is prescribed for aircraft landing at, taxiing on, or taking off from, an airport”.
The worst accident in the history of aviation occurred at a towered airport (Tenerife).