Enroute Altitude for Overflying a Non-Towered Airport?

Bulldog573

Bulldog573

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Mike
I’m doing more cross-countries now, working on my instrument training pre-reqs. There are a ton of non-towered airports around my home field, and I normally monitor their CTAF freqs while steering clear of their charted Class E transition space. I’ve heard other pilots make position calls when over-flying these fields at various altitudes.

My question is, if I want to fly a direct route over a non-towered airport, is there a designated minimum altitude to do that without a position call?

Not coming up with the answer from AIM. Thanks for any advice.
 
There's no specific guidance I l know of on this. If I am within 1,000' of pattern altitude I will give a call. But I'm rarely than low.
 
I would be at least 500’ over TPA (preferably more). Mid field is probably safest, so you don’t interfere with approaching and departing traffic. I do 500’ over TPA, when joining the pattern, but enroute, I usually climb a bit to give myself more options, in case something were to happen.
 
Bulldog573 said:
I’m doing more cross-countries now, working on my instrument training pre-reqs. There are a ton of non-towered airports around my home field, and I normally monitor their CTAF freqs while steering clear of their charted Class E transition space. I’ve heard other pilots make position calls when over-flying these fields at various altitudes.

My question is, if I want to fly a direct route over a non-towered airport, is there a designated minimum altitude to do that without a position call?

Not coming up with the answer from AIM. Thanks for any advice.
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If working towards IFR, I'd get in the habit of flying at the OROCA or higher (Off Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude...the light brown numbers in each section of the IFR low altitude charts). Most of the time, the OROCA is well above pattern altitudes, and overflying non-towered airports isn't an issue.
 
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tawood said:
If working towards IFR, I'd get in the habit of flying at the OROCA or higher (Off Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude...the light brown numbers in each section of the IFR low altitude charts). Most of the time, the OROCA is well above pattern altitudes, and overflying non-towered airports isn't an issue.
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That can be pretty excessive out West. Look around KVIS
 
Bulldog573 said:
I’m doing more cross-countries now, working on my instrument training pre-reqs. There are a ton of non-towered airports around my home field, and I normally monitor their CTAF freqs while steering clear of their charted Class E transition space. I’ve heard other pilots make position calls when over-flying these fields at various altitudes.

My question is, if I want to fly a direct route over a non-towered airport, is there a designated minimum altitude to do that without a position call?

Not coming up with the answer from AIM. Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

Looking at the tops of typical Class D’s I’d say gives good guidance on what you may want to use as a rule of thumb
 
and dont forget to check for parachute operations if you are overflying a field. we have this at our airport and its amazing to me to see pilots flying right through the drop zone when people are jumping.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Keep in mind that "500 feet above TPA" is generally TPA for turbine airplanes.

I usually go around airports below TPA.
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Turbine aircraft aren't usually flying patterns at airports. Keep an eye out for people descending on the straight ins/instrument approaches.
Watch out for airports that have parachute operations. Meat bombs falling from anywhere from 6000-12000 feet.
 
flyingron said:
Turbine aircraft aren't usually flying patterns at airports. Keep an eye out for people descending on the straight ins/instrument approaches.
Watch out for airports that have parachute operations. Meat bombs falling from anywhere from 6000-12000 feet.
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I may be the exception, but I fly what's most convenient/quickest, which is very seldom an instrument approach (the weather's usually better than that) or straight-in (seems like I'm never coming from the right direction). 1500 feet for a crosswind or downwind leg seems to be far more common.
 
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