Right of way on final

[Palmpilot]

I do the same thing when flying, if a plane is on a 10 mile final and I can jump in and turn final and exit the runway in front of him and don't cause him to have to go around, do a 360, etc. I don't think I have violated the rules.

I agree. 91.113(b) says that when another aircraft has the right-of-way, you may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear. Unless the aircraft on a ten mile final is a really fast airplane, I would say that turning a one mile or half mile final ahead of it easily qualifies as "well clear."

 

[paflyer]

I don't know how anyone got the idea that using the word 'final' vs. 'straight-in' conveys any meaning regarding right-of-way rules. In real life pilots use these words interchangeably, so even if you think they have a certain meaning the person saying them may not have any idea that you interpreted their words that way.

True; I'll call an x mile straight in for runway yy but's that's only advisory in my mind. Just means I don't intend to fly the normal pattern. If someone calls back from inside the pattern or closer to the airport than me then we'll negotiate the sequence.

 

[d5by5]

One of the two near-hits I had occurred when I was on an extended downwind due to aircraft on "final" 5 miles out. I extended downwind. And extended. And extended. Finally turning base and coming back on the final leg, I was on a 2 mile final. Approaching the normal base-to-final turn, I suddenly had a 152 in my windscreen turning final. I accelerated, slipped right and climbed into an upwind leg.

Was that safe? Or would safer for the guy on the 5 mile final to have spent an extra 5 minutes flying over to the 45 entry point?

You blame yourself after calling your extended downwind and final and the 152 ignored you and turned into you? What would be your other solution? Turning into the 5 mile final aircraft?

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

One of the two near-hits I had occurred when I was on an extended downwind due to aircraft on "final" 5 miles out. I extended downwind. And extended. And extended. Finally turning base and coming back on the final leg, I was on a 2 mile final. Approaching the normal base-to-final turn, I suddenly had a 152 in my windscreen turning final. I accelerated, slipped right and climbed into an upwind leg.

Was that safe? Or would safer for the guy on the 5 mile final to have spent an extra 5 minutes flying over to the 45 entry point?

The closest encounters that I had was with a Cessna trying to pretend to make a "45" entry to downwind at an airport where there isn't room for that (ONZ). He crossed through the downwind at pattern altitude (fortunately, I was a little low and I just watched his gear pass over my skylight) and then did some kind of maneuvering behind me while announcing a "45" entry.