I have to respectfully disagree with this.

Overhead the field at 500+ TPA, the entire downwind leg is sprawled
before you and all traffic should be self evident. insert yourself
appropriately. This provides for a healthy separation if, say NORDO,
you find that there are no safe spots in the pattern and you must
abort to make another pattern entry attempt.

That said, my home field (towered) field has me call overhead at 500+
tpa and then drop into downwind... so its possible that I've just been
re-enforcing a bad habit.

-Scott



On Apr 10, 3:09 pm, Cubdriver usenet AT danford DOT net wrote:
On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:35:41 GMT, "Bill Denton"

wrote:
"midfield crossover for 14 again puts me crossing the downwind leg for 10"

Given that you fly the midfield crossover at pattern altitude + 500 feet
this shouldn't be an issue...

But I don't! We fly the crossover at TPA. That's what I do, and that's
what I've seen dozens of other pilots do.

Otherwise you are descending onto the downwind, which my instructor
says is a no-no. Do everything in or near the pattern at TPA, says he.

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
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