Learning Goals

FLYING VFR PATTERNS

AERODROME TRAFFIC CIRCUIT

The Aerodrome pattern is a standard path followed by aircrafts when
taking off or landing. At an airport, the pattern (or circuit) is a standard
path for coordinating air traffic. It differs from "straight in approaches"
and "direct climb outs" in that aircrafts using a traffic pattern remain close
to the airport. Patterns are usually employed at small general aviation
(GA) airfields and military airbases Most large airports avoid the system,
unless there is GA activity as well as commercial flights.

Traffic patterns can be defined as left-hand or right-hand, according to

which way the turns in the pattern lie.

Standard traffic patterns are LEFT HAND CIRCUITS !

This is because most small airplanes are piloted from the left seat (or the
senior pilot or pilot in command sits in the left seat), and so the pilot has
better visibility out the left window. Right-hand patterns will be set up for
parallell runways, for noise abatement or because of ground features
(such as terrain, towers, etc.). Helicopters are encouraged, but not
required, to use an opposite pattern from fixed wing traffic due to their
slower speed and greater manoeuvrability. Because the active runway is
chosen to meet the wind at the nearest angle (upwind), the pattern
orientation also depends on wind direction. Patterns are typically
rectangular in basic shape, and include the runway along one long side of
the rectangle. Each leg of the pattern has a particular name:

• Departure leg: The section extending from the runway ahead.

(Sometimes incorrectly called the upwind leg. However, upwind
properly refers to an approach leg outside the downwind leg and in
the opposite direction.)
• Crosswind leg : The first short side
• Downwind leg: The long side parallel to the runway but flown in
the opposite direction.(This leg also consists of three sub legs. There
are Early downwind, Mid Downwind and Late downwind)
• Base leg: The short side ahead of the runway is called.
• Final leg : The section from the end of base leg to the start of the
runway (also referred to as final approach or final )

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 Down wind leg Cross wind leg

Base turn

Early Down wind

Mid Down wind
Departure leg /
Late Down wind
Upwind Take off
Base leg

Final leg /
Approach
Final turn

WHY

The use of a pattern at airfields is for air safety. Rather than have aircraft
flying around the field in a haphazard fashion, by using a pattern pilots
will know from where to expect other air traffic, and be able to see it and
avoid it. GA pilots flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) will not be
separated by air traffic control, and so the pattern is a vital way to keep
things orderly. Although, at tower-controlled airports, ATC will provide
traffic advisories for VFR flights on a work-load permitting basis.

A pilot undergoing training will often fly many patterns, one after another.
Usually, each landing is followed immediately by a take off and further
pattern; this is called a touch and go, or roller.

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CONTRA-ROTATING CIRCUIT PATTERNS
In cases where two or more parallel runways are in operation concurrently, the
aircraft operating on the outermost runways are required to perform their
patterns in a direction which will not conflict with the other runways. Thus, one
runway may be operating with a left-hand pattern direction, and the other one
will be operating with a right-hand pattern direction. This allows aircraft to
maintain maximum separation during their patterns, however it is important that
the aircraft do not stray past the centreline of the runway when joining the final
leg, so as to avoid potential collisions. If three or more parallel runways exist,
then the middle runway(s) can, for obvious reasons, only be used when either a
straight in approach is used or when the aircraft joins the pattern from a very
wide base leg.

ALTITUDES
An airfield will define a circuit height or pattern altitude, that is, a nominal
level above the field at which pilots are required to fly while in the circuit. Unless
otherwise specified, the standard pattern height is 1000 ft AGL (above
ground level), although a pattern height of 700 feet above ground level is also
relatively common. Helicopters usually fly their pattern at 500 feet above ground
level. Extreme caution is exercised by pilots flying the published traffic pattern
altitude as this may contribute to mid air collisions

HOW TO FLY
Departure leg: after take-off, fly runway heading.
Crosswind leg: turn left 90° and continue your climb to circuit height.

Note: Make the turn to the crosswind leg after passing 500ft AGL or at the end
of the runway, whichever is later !!

Downwind leg: turn left 90° heading opposite the runway heading
Base leg: turn left 90° and start your initial descent.
(reduce speed to 80 knots approach speed)
Final leg: turn left 90° and further descend to touchdown
(touchdown speed 60-65 knots)

REPORTING POINTS
Aircrafts taking off from the airfield for a local VFR training circuit shall report at
the following points, unless requested otherwise by ATC:

1: on the Downwind leg stating: “DOWNWIND” including intentions like full stop
landing, touch and go, stop and go, low pass fly by.

Note: when you are flying a right hand pattern the pilot shall report :
“RIGHTHAND DOWNWIND”

2: on Final

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WHEN TO START YOUR TURN TO BASE

When no extended downwind is required from ATC the pilot is expected to

make his turn onto the base leg when his rear view on the threshold
makes an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the intended base leg.

THRESHOLD

45°

45°

pilots rear view 45 degree angle with the threshold of the runway

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THRESHOLD BASE LEG

When instructed by ATC or on charts indication, the pilot shall make the
turn to the base leg in such a way that the base leg will be perpendicular
to the threshold of the runway.

THRESHOLD

Note: the Clearance to land can be received during the BASE leg. If not....then the pilot
will remind ATC that he is final whilst flying over the runway.
Needles say that this procedure can only be flown when the runway is long enough due to the
misplaced landing zone .

MID-RUNWAY BASE LEG

When instructed by ATC or on charts indication, the pilot shall make the
turn to the base leg in such a way that the base leg will be perpendicular
to the middle of the runway.

Mid-runway

Note: the clearance to land can be received during the BASE leg. If not....then the pilot
will remind ATC that he is final whilst flying over the runway.
Needles say that this procedure can only be flown when the runway is long enough due to the
misplaced landing zone .

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JOINING THE PATTERN

NW NE

SW
SE

When flying VFR there comes a moment that you will have to join the
circuit. In the picture above some visual entry points into the control zone
(CTR) are depicted. These points are named according to their
geographical position from the airfield.

Keep in mind that ATC will control this process and more procedures are
possible.

Don't forget to check the local procedures of the airport where you are
going to fly.

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JOINING-LEAVING THE PATTERN (NL)

Like we said before, the joining and leaving the patterns various from
country to country. In the Netherlands for instance the following standard
rule apply UNLESS stated otherwise on the VFR charts!

standard circuit height: 700ft AGL

Joining the pattern via downwind leg
Leaving the pattern via 45° on the crosswind leg

detailed information can be found on :

http://www.ais-netherlands.nl/aim/110127-110310/eAIP/html/index-en-GB.html

Part2 / ENR1.2 / chapter 8 Circuit Procedures for Aerodrome Traffic

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JOINING the circuit via overhead the field

In case you are on the " wrong" side of the airport to join the circuit, ATC
can instruct you to join the circuit via overhead the field.
This means that you overfly the airport active runway preferably in the
middle and then join the mid downwind and proceed with the normal rules
of the aerodrome traffic pattern.

Note that if you are instructed to overfly the field at e.g. 2000ft and circuit
altitude is at 1000ft AGL. Start your descent from 2000ft to 1000ft on the
DOWNWIND leg and NOT while you are overflying the airport!

remember the following.

ATC is free to instruct you to fly a right hand or a left hand circuit EVEN
when the VFR CHARTS state that certain areas need to be avoided.

It is the pilots decision to refuse if he thinks safety is compromised or

cannot comply for whatever reason.

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GO AROUND

In case no clearance is received for landing the pilot shall perform a go

around and immediately climb to circuit altitude.

It shows good airmanship when the pilot clears the runway at 500ft AGL
and immediately makes the turn to the crosswind leg if safety allows. The
pilot assess the situation based on the fact whether he is alone in the
circuit or not.

Blue line:

The pilot climbs immediately to 500ft AGL and turns away to the
crosswind to clear the runway heading.
In this case the pilot knows that it is safe to do so because the second VFR
aircraft is far away enough.

If the other VFR aircraft was already on the downwind you should climb to
1000ft immediately and maintain runway heading until passing the end of
the runway and then proceed with the normal rules of the aerodrome
traffic pattern.

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