non-towered airport question

As the pilot in command you must determine which runway is best for you at
an uncontrolled airport. You cannot relinquish this responsibility to a vote
from the other pilots. That does not mean that you ignore what everybody
else is doing. You still take that into account and sometimes it is safer to
settle for a less than optimum runway if collision avoidance is more
important. Since you said that traffic conflicts were not a problem in this
case, I think then you are safe in choosing whichever runway you want. If
conditions change and additional traffic warrants a change in runway, then
you should do that.

if collision avoidance is more
important.

When would collision avoidance *not* be more important?

all the best -- Dan Ford
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Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
if collision avoidance is more
important.

When would collision avoidance *not* be more important?

Hi Cub,

As I said in another post: essentially, when other operational
characteristics of the airplane make a different runway safer
(I assume that's what CJ means).

For example: *longer runway for a twin or HP plane
*runway more aligned with the wind for a plane
with linked rudder/nosewheel
*grass runway for antique taildragger
*longer runway for testing after maintenance
*more I haven't thought of?

JMO, but actually I think the "improved collision avoidance"
of everyone in the same pattern is actually somewhat illusory,
unless everyone can fly the same pattern at the same speed or
unless the pattern is fairly full (more than a couple of planes).
I think if one draws out crossing patterns and tries to visualize
the vectors, it's clear there are only a couple of potential
conflict points. Avoid those and it's a no-brainer. With the
potential for overtaking traffic flying a different pattern, some
people flying 1000 ft pattern when the published altitude is 800
ft etc, when everyone's in the same pattern the entire pattern is
one big potential conflict point.

Cheers,
Sydney

"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...
As the pilot in command you must determine which runway is best for you at
an uncontrolled airport. You cannot relinquish this responsibility to a vote
from the other pilots. That does not mean that you ignore what everybody
else is doing. You still take that into account and sometimes it is safer to
settle for a less than optimum runway if collision avoidance is more
important. Since you said that traffic conflicts were not a problem in this
case, I think then you are safe in choosing whichever runway you want. If
conditions change and additional traffic warrants a change in runway, then
you should do that.

Thanks, CJ. That's pretty much what I did -- when it was clear both
other planes were doing pattern work, not just "full stop" landing
and taxiing home, and a third plane called in, that's what I did, join
the throng.

What would have been useful, in retrospect, is a way for the other
pilots to indicate their intention to do pattern work. When someone
says "T&G" that intention is clear. When someone says "full stop",
it tells us what they plan to do on the runway but nothing about
their later intentions.

OTOH I grasp from some other responses that there *is* a feeling of
discomfort from other pilots about using crossing runways, so I'll
take this into account.

There are definately airports where I would NOT use a crossing
runway because of terrain or obstructions or the way the patterns
intersect.

Cheers,
Sydney