Straight-ins at uncontrolled airports?

Ron Natalie wrote:

"Keep your speed up" is something I heard constantly at IAD
when I was based there. Used to fly 120 knots until the
threshold in a Skyhawk and sometimes even managed 140 in
the Navion (well, we were also descending). The first
turn off at Dulles is 4500 down the runway, so had plenty
of time to get her slowed down and turned off (slips with
flaps were a normal procedure).

Nobody flew anything resembling a pattern.

IAD is not a typical GA airport.

Ron Lee

On Thu, 08 Feb 2007 06:59:40 -0500, Ron Natalie wrote:

"Keep your speed up" is something I heard constantly at IAD when I was
based there. Used to fly 120 knots until the threshold in a Skyhawk and
sometimes even managed 140 in the Navion (well, we were also descending).

Sigh That's perhaps the only thing I really miss about TEB.

- Andrew

"Kev" wrote in message
ups.com...

Obviously I scanned for traffic, which is why I'm still here ;-)


I don't understand. Are you saying you scanned for traffic, spotted traffic
one mile out on final, and then turned base?



He claimed to be twenty miles out, or about 10 minutes away at
Cherokee speeds. Plenty of time for me to land first. However, he
was much, much closer. Apparently he was overloaded doing the
practice approach.


Are you sure it was the same aircraft?



In the pattern, it's easier to see where someone is. Straight in, you
often just have to believe what they say. (That is, trust but
verify ;-)


I've heard others say that, but I've never found find it difficult to spot
traffic on final.

wrote in message
ps.com...

It may not have been disapproved by official regulation.
It is disapproved by many pilots, though. ;)
Especially me. I have enough to deal with when everyone, including
me, is where they belong.


Aircraft don't "belong" on final?

"Jim Burns" wrote in message
...

Something else I try to practice is that when transferred to the local
traffic advisory, I not only announce my position on the approach
including altitudes, but I use terms that VFR or non local pilots in the
area will understand.


That should include any identified point on the sectional, but some pilots
complain about that usage.



I think this is an area where some of the pilots
such as Jay refers to can improve their SOP. Granted, when the pattern is
full, this maybe too much info when everybody's trying to announce their
positions and intentions, again, a pilot must be able to adjust to the
circumstances.


Just what does it mean for the pattern to be full? If the pattern is truly
full, what is an itinerant arrival supposed to do? Hold somewhere until
someone gets tired of doing touch and goes?



For those on downwind encountering another pilot performing a straight in
approach, don't forget about the ability to extend your downwind leg.
Don't let yourself get so locked into your "standard" pattern of turning
base when 45 degrees from X at Xagl at Xrpms and Xkts that you find
yourself flustered and brain locked when an approaching airplane announces
something that you aren't expecting.


Or, in other words, expect aircraft to arrive straight-in and scan the final
for traffic. Too many pilots don't look for traffic outside the pattern.

"ArtP" wrote in message
...

One of the reasons they are on long finals is they followed
McNicholl's advice to extend downwind to give the guy on a straight in
approach the right of way.


Actually, it's FAR 91.113(g) that gives the guy on a straight-in approach
the right of way. McNicoll advises adherence to the FARs.

"Roger" wrote in message
...

I know if I have time enough to land if he's telling the truth:-))
OTOH that's just inside the FAF and it might be me.


Can you rephrase that? I have no idea what you're trying to say.

"Roger" wrote in message
...

It's usually not complicated if people are paying attention.
If I can fit between sky divers and jump planes at Zypher Hills I
should be able to adjust to either have enough room to land and clear
the runway ahead of the guy on long final, or extend my down wind to
get behind him.


'Zackly. I think many pilots interpret "right-of-way" to mean "the next
aircraft to land". That's not what it means. Right-of-way rules come into
play only if the aircraft concerned would otherwise occupy the same piece of
sky, or nearly so. If you're on downwind when another aircraft announces a
long straight-in you should be well in front of him and right-of-way
shouldn't be an issue. If he's closer in you may have to extend your
downwind a bit to follow him.

On Feb 8, 3:13 pm, "Steven P. McNicoll"
wrote:
wrote in message

ps.com...



It may not have been disapproved by official regulation.
It is disapproved by many pilots, though. ;)
Especially me. I have enough to deal with when everyone, including
me, is where they belong.

Aircraft don't "belong" on final?

Of course they do. But the "belong" on final as part of the regular,
expected pattern.
Some of the posters have some reasonable situations for straight-ins.
But if you're flying the usual 4 or 6 banger at the usual speeds, you
are best and safest joining the pattern in the usual, expected manner
to get where you belong. Calling final 10 miles out doesn't cut it.

I don't see it often, but a couple times while flying a glider in the
pattern, I had pilots call a long final, and I couldn't even see them
anywhere. Sure, I had the right of way, but.....

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
hlink.net...




'Zackly. I think many pilots interpret "right-of-way" to mean "the next
aircraft to land". That's not what it means. Right-of-way rules come
into
play only if the aircraft concerned would otherwise occupy the same piece
of
sky, or nearly so. If you're on downwind when another aircraft announces
a
long straight-in you should be well in front of him and right-of-way
shouldn't be an issue. If he's closer in you may have to extend your
downwind a bit to follow him.

Maybe, if that were based just on FAR91.113b.
Where does "on final" begin? If I'm abeam the numbers on downwind and
an inbound calls "...at 3300 feet [pattern altitude] on 15 mile final" for
the same runway, can I cut in front of him or not? FAR 91.113b seems tenuous
(subjective) while 91.113g seems to explicitly deny me that option.