Stephen Shore
Pre-takeoff checklist
I have attended and landed at several fly-ins - including Oshkosh. Yesterday I attended a local fly-in at Rusk County Airport (KRFI) in NE Texas. What I saw in that traffic pattern bordered on insanity and alot of just plain rudeness. And it almost ended tragically for a friend of mine flying Young Eagle flights.
It began for me by approaching from the north with runway 17 as the active. I overflew the airport @ 1500'+ feet over pattern altitude in order to fly approximately 5 miles south of the airport in order to turn around and come back and work my way in to a left downwind for 17. There were 8-10 planes in the pattern or near the airport at the time. I purposely chose NOT to do a straight in or to enter the downwind from a circling / 45 degree approach because of the several airplanes already on downwind. Better to fly well past the airport and come back and try for a straight entry into a left downwind.
In order to make a long story short, it took me three attempts to go from downwind to base because of several airplanes attempting to break into the downwind at pattern altitude on 45 degree entries from either abeam the 35 numbers or even at mid field. Most were not even making any calls - just attempting to fly into the downwind leg. I broke off two downwind legs at mid field and on my third attempt finally made it to a base leg and landed, even though I had someone come in right behind me on base and try to enter the pattern at that point. I watched him closely (on my panel and saw him exit the pattern) and made it to final and finally landed.
A friend of mine flying Young Eagles had a Comanche landing gear suddenly appear in his windscreen about 400' above the ground on short final to land. He diverted quickly to the right (he could not climb or descend for obvious reasons) and narrowly missed being killed and having two youngsters go down with him.
After he finally landed, he confronted the Comanche pilot who matter of factly stated that since he was approaching from the north he simply decided to make a straight in approach. That makes great sense when there are no other airplanes in the pattern. But when there is a fly-in and obviously several planes on downwind, base, and final, you just don't do a straight in approach to a non-towered field hosting a well attended fly in.
I just got back from a fly-in in Fredricksburg and did not notice problems like this one.
I emailed the airport manager and suggested that next year they publish a fly-in approach and traffic pattern in a NOTAM similar to what I have seen at other fly-ins.
Is this common at these fly-ins? I don't attend very many (Oshkosh every year but obviously that is controlled and well managed) but I was just amazed at how many pilots did NOT make any calls in the pattern and how many were just intent on "cutting" into the pattern in whatever way best served their interest. Maybe I just need to limit myself to larger fly-ins that have published approaches - but maybe this was just a bad day?
It began for me by approaching from the north with runway 17 as the active. I overflew the airport @ 1500'+ feet over pattern altitude in order to fly approximately 5 miles south of the airport in order to turn around and come back and work my way in to a left downwind for 17. There were 8-10 planes in the pattern or near the airport at the time. I purposely chose NOT to do a straight in or to enter the downwind from a circling / 45 degree approach because of the several airplanes already on downwind. Better to fly well past the airport and come back and try for a straight entry into a left downwind.
In order to make a long story short, it took me three attempts to go from downwind to base because of several airplanes attempting to break into the downwind at pattern altitude on 45 degree entries from either abeam the 35 numbers or even at mid field. Most were not even making any calls - just attempting to fly into the downwind leg. I broke off two downwind legs at mid field and on my third attempt finally made it to a base leg and landed, even though I had someone come in right behind me on base and try to enter the pattern at that point. I watched him closely (on my panel and saw him exit the pattern) and made it to final and finally landed.
A friend of mine flying Young Eagles had a Comanche landing gear suddenly appear in his windscreen about 400' above the ground on short final to land. He diverted quickly to the right (he could not climb or descend for obvious reasons) and narrowly missed being killed and having two youngsters go down with him.
After he finally landed, he confronted the Comanche pilot who matter of factly stated that since he was approaching from the north he simply decided to make a straight in approach. That makes great sense when there are no other airplanes in the pattern. But when there is a fly-in and obviously several planes on downwind, base, and final, you just don't do a straight in approach to a non-towered field hosting a well attended fly in.
I just got back from a fly-in in Fredricksburg and did not notice problems like this one.
I emailed the airport manager and suggested that next year they publish a fly-in approach and traffic pattern in a NOTAM similar to what I have seen at other fly-ins.
Is this common at these fly-ins? I don't attend very many (Oshkosh every year but obviously that is controlled and well managed) but I was just amazed at how many pilots did NOT make any calls in the pattern and how many were just intent on "cutting" into the pattern in whatever way best served their interest. Maybe I just need to limit myself to larger fly-ins that have published approaches - but maybe this was just a bad day?
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