Things My Flight Instructor Never Taught Me
91.126 Revisited
When I wrote the story about operations at uncontrolled airports, I knew that it was a controversial subject. While most of you are familiar with FAR 91.126, I thought it would be worth another look. So lets take a look at 91.126 and see just exactly what it does and doesn’t permit.
Sec. 91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in class G airspace. (a) General. Unless otherwise authorized or required, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an airport in a Class G airspace area must comply with the requirements of this section. (b) Direction of turns. When approaching to land at an airport without an operating control tower in Class G airspace (1)Each pilot of an airplane must make all turns of that airplane to the left unless that airport displays approved light signals or visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, in which case the pilot must make all turns to the right and…
What is significant here is the language, and what it does not say. Note that it says all aircraft approaching to land must make all turns to the left. It does not say you must fly a left- hand traffic pattern. If you make no turns at all, that’s okay. Straight in approaches are “legal.”
Furthermore, it only refers to aircraft approaching to land. It does not specifically address aircraft departing. A right turn on departure is also “legal” as the aircraft is not approaching to land. Under 91.126, it is “legal” to enter the traffic pattern on the base leg so long as the base to final turn is to the left. Lastly, it directly contradicts the AIM on the subject of a midfield 45°entry, as that would require a right turn. So, like it or not, that is what the regulations say.
Traffic patterns per se, are not specified and are absolutely not regulatory. At one point, I have had a very heated discussion with a very experienced instructor with more than 20,000 flight hours. These are the type of instructors that young airmen look to for guidance and try to emulate in their flying. This man simply did not agree with the concept of a left hand traffic pattern and insists that he will fly a right hand pattern, even at an airport with left traffic because he feels it is safer. That might be so if everyone in the pattern had 20,000 flight hours but I perceived his response as advocating anarchy.
In the middle of that discussion, another experienced pilot put the blame for pattern confusion at uncontrolled airports on “out of control” pilots. He went on to build his case that many use the radio in lieu of a standard pattern for traffic separation. On this point few can argue. The concept of VFR traffic separation is based on see and avoid. Nowhere in the FAR’s or AIM does the concept of talk and avoid come into play. Unfortunately, so many low time pilots have been taught to talk and not to look, that this type of behavior has become standard protocol at many uncontrolled G.A. airports.
Not long after I wrote that story, I was taking a part 135.293 / 297/ 299 checkride with an F.A.A. examiner. We were shooting a VOR/ DME arc approach into an uncontrolled airport on a marginal day. It was VFR, but we were on an IFR flight plan. I made my first Unicom radio call 15 miles out. I made another at 10 miles out, followed by yet another at five miles out. Remember, we were IMC for real. There were two aircraft in the pattern that I could hear on the radio. We were approaching from the north and the landing runway was 9. It would be a circle to land. We broke out at 1500 feet, 10 miles from the airport. I could clearly see the traffic in the pattern, so visibility was not that bad. I descended to the MDA, which is 660 feet, and leveled off, intending to fly to within one mile of the field (circling minimums) and join the pattern. I made a position report at five miles out another at two miles out. I was watching and listening to a Skyhawk doing touch and goes. It was apparent it was a student and an instructor. They too were making position reports, about every 15 seconds. Upwind, crosswind, turning downwind, mid-field downwind, he just didn’t shut up. In between, he was “chatting” with the instructor in the other aircraft also doing touch and goes. As I turned right to enter the downwind, below and behind the Skyhawk, the instructor came on the radio and asked if we were in the pattern. When I advised in the affirmative, he asked why I hadn’t announced my position until I was directly under him!
The Fed in the airplane with me about came unglued. Keying the mic he ripped into this guy telling him that he should spend less time talking and more time flying. It got really quiet on the frequency. Feeing sorry for the guy, I shot the missed approach and headed for home before the Fed could insist that I land so he could “talk” with the guy in the Skyhawk some more.
The point is, how can you expect more from a low time or student pilots when the instructors are guilty of poor pattern performance? The answer is in each and every one of us. Use proper pattern procedures, and take the time to educate those unfamiliar with the idiosyncrasies of your particular field to new or transient pilots. Recognize that there are “holes” in the regulatory text that allow straight in and other “non-standard” traffic procedures and as pilot in command, you need to be prepared to deal with it.
By Michael Leighton a 4,900+ N.A.F.I. certified Master CFIIMEI-ATP, as well as an A&P mechanic and former F.A.A. Accident Prevention Counselor. He operates an aircraft management, maintenance and crew services company located in South Florida. You can reach him via e-mail at av8tor0414@aol.com, or find him on the web at http://web.mac.com/mkleighton. To order the book please go to www.tmfintm.com.