(Snowbird) wrote in message . com...
What's the general viewpoint here?

Question is: how would most pilots here feel about this?
Would you feel I should have just joined with traffic
for the shorter runway? In terms of my plane's capabilities
and mine, it's plenty of runway, no reason why not. It just
wasn't what I preferred initially.

Cheers,
Sydney

i suppose there might be some consideration due to "local
practice", but generally (and legally) speaking, there was
nothing wrong with what you did.

i'm based at an airport with 4 strips of concrete (although
two are currently closed for construction.) it is not unusual
for three of them to be "in use" more or less simulataneously.
everybody has to keep a sharp lookout, and radio communication
definitely helps here (although sometimes there is a nordo in the
mix, too.) i soloed a student last spring during what i thought was
a lull in the traffic -- but the lull didn't last long. on his second
trip around the pattern, he was #4 on downwind, with a warbird
entering the pattern for another runway, and another warbird
overflying the field. (frequently the warbird pilots like to use
what i call "pseudo military" radio calls, like "north american 65c
is on the overhead break for runway one-seven".) i usually just
tell early on students that if they don't understand the radio call,
just treat the plane as nordo and keep their eyes peeled. :-)
anyway, the student did just fine, merged in like a pro and was
on top of the whole situation.

otoh, once when up with a student we were ~8 miles east (there's
another airport ~10 east), and we saw this yahoo take off and
turn west before he got to the end of the runway (couldn't have
been more than 200 agl). we sorta followed him from above, and
about half-way between the airports he called my home a.p. and
announced "2 mile straight in for one-seven". first of all, he was
~5 out, 2nd he was 90 deg from 1-7, and third, there were about
4 or 5 planes in the pattern for 1-7. after several of the planes in
the pattern queried the new arrival and couldn't get satisfactory
information, one pattern plane did a full stop instead of t&g, and
the rest exited the pattern in various directions. i guess the moral
is that one jerk can foul up everybody who is cooperating and
working together.

g_a