Straight in (using the crooked method)

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VictorValencia

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VictorValencia
Hopefully this is not a stupid question but here goes....

8 miles south east from KHWD and ATC wants straight in approach for 28L.
From my current position "straight" to the airport is about a 30 degree
angle to the west from 28L. An instructor with me said straight
means a straight in approach aligned with final and said I should
turn to intercept the 28 heading and then continue the approach rather
than approach at an angle and then make a 30 degree turn to final 1
mile out. It was different from what I normally would have done
and the angled approach was the technique I used at the same airport
during my checkride and the examiner never said a word.

What do you think ATC would normally expect in this situation?

Victor
 
Intercept the runway extended centerline.

Hayward has parallel runways, so stay out of the "no transgression zone."
 
Hayward Executive (HWD) told me to make a straight in for two eight Left and I took it to mean intercept the centerline ASAP.
San Luis Obispo (SBP) ATC will often say make a straight in for runway two nine remaining south of the runway centerline.
I asked them and this means they want me to intercept the centerline of runway 29 a mile out so that faster traffic can make a straight in. They refer to it as a modified dog leg.
SBP ATC will sometimes tell me to fly straight to the numbers and report the landfill with the same meaning.
 
I always take it as intercepting the extended center line > 5 miles out. Present position, fly a heading to intercept the extended centerline at about 30-45 degrees, then fly the long straight in.
 
Intercept the centerline and fly straight in approach. Unless the controller says head straight for the airport,or numbers.
 
Pedals2Paddles said:
I always take it as intercepting the extended center line > 5 miles out. Present position, fly a heading to intercept the extended centerline at about 30-45 degrees, then fly the long straight in.
Click to expand...
Pretty much my method, but I use about 3-5 miles on the extended centerline as my typical target and use whatever intercept I think will get me there.

If listening to the ATIS (or Tower if there is no ATIS) further out, I hear that straight in is probably (i.e., I'm coming from the south, the runway is 17/35 and the winds are from the north) I'll maneuver for the straight in before I even call the Tower.

Actually I do the same no matter which way the wind is blowing - start maneuvering as early as I can for the likely pattern entry point. Rarely requires more than a 5-10° change in heading.
 
"Straight In" is within 30 degrees of the runway heading. You can intercept the extended centerline as close in as you're comfortable with.
 
midlifeflyer said:
If listening to the ATIS (or Tower if there is no ATIS) further out, I hear that straight in is probably (i.e., I'm coming from the south, the runway is 17/35 and the winds are from the north) I'll maneuver for the straight in before I even call the Tower.

Actually I do the same no matter which way the wind is blowing - start maneuvering as early as I can for the likely pattern entry point. Rarely requires more than a 5-10° change in heading.
Click to expand...

I do the same. Makes it easy for me, and it makes it easy for the controller. And it makes it easy for other traffic listening to understand where I am.
 
It depends so much on airport and surrounding airspace. In my experience, most airports around the bay will just direct you to make a straight in and report an X mile final (usually 2 miles). On the other hand, I have heard ATC request "turn left/right, intercept the x mile final for runway xx." In this case, they're looking for you to help their spacing if the pattern is busy. I don't see anything wrong with approaching on an angle for straight in unless they tell you otherwise for separation purposes.
 
Something like this comes up fairly regularly with me. We're south of the field and cleared for the visual to runway 9 at an uncontrolled field. We cancel and the copilot comes up on CTAF and reports us on a 'right' base for 9 even though the runway is left traffic and we briefed I'd join a 4 or 5 mile straight in. Always makes me cringe...

This one time, in that exact situation, someone keyed the mic and in a stern voice said the runway was right traffic. In an effort to make all happy and in an abundance of caution I changed plans and instead overflow the field to make left traffic reporting all that on CTAF. Upon landing some guy comes out and starts yelling at my copilot telling him we "could have killed someone". He looked like a fed to me so I gathered my stuff and got out of the plane to deal with him. Turns out he was a pre-private and thought he'd fix a dangerous crew flying corporate planes.

All could have been avoided if the co-pilot just said straight in for 9...
 
VictorValencia said:
Hopefully this is not a stupid question but here goes....

8 miles south east from KHWD and ATC wants straight in approach for 28L.
From my current position "straight" to the airport is about a 30 degree
angle to the west from 28L. An instructor with me said straight
means a straight in approach aligned with final and said I should
turn to intercept the 28 heading and then continue the approach rather
than approach at an angle and then make a 30 degree turn to final 1
mile out. It was different from what I normally would have done
and the angled approach was the technique I used at the same airport
during my checkride and the examiner never said a word.

What do you think ATC would normally expect in this situation?

Victor
Click to expand...

What I do in that situation is adjust my course to meet their extended centerline where it meets the airspace ring and turn final there so I am 'straight in' through his whole airspace. Not sure if it's what they expect or not, but I never heard a complaint or question over it.:dunno:
 
Henning said:
What I do in that situation is adjust my course to meet their extended centerline where it meets the airspace ring and turn final there so I am 'straight in' through his whole airspace. Not sure if it's what they expect or not, but I never heard a complaint or question over it.:dunno:
Click to expand...

I read a story of a case where a pilot called a 1 mile final (right turn) a straight in and the Feds called it right traffic. It went to court and the judge agreed 1 mile isn't enough but stopped short of saying what IS enough.

Airspace boundary has got to be safe.
 
Captain said:
I read a story of a case where a pilot called a 1 mile final (right turn) a straight in and the Feds called it right traffic. It went to court and the judge agreed 1 mile isn't enough but stopped short of saying what IS enough.

Airspace boundary has got to be safe.
Click to expand...

That's what I always figured because if I was outside that I didn't have to talk to him anyway. Seemed logical to me so I went with it. It's worked fine so far so without something otherwise coming from the Feds I'll stick with it.

I would call a turn at 1 mile a base-final turn as well.
 
Pedals2Paddles said:
I always take it as intercepting the extended center line > 5 miles out. Present position, fly a heading to intercept the extended centerline at about 30-45 degrees, then fly the long straight in.
Click to expand...

x2

fly a heading to intercept the centerline a few miles out
 
MAKG1 said:
Umm, there is no prohibition against right traffic at a towered airport. Towers frequently use both patterns, even with parallel runways.
Click to expand...

That's it, there's no one to tell him to make a straight in 28 for him to worry about, he's on his own.
 
I was approaching the airport from the NE, Rwy 12L/R in operation.
Tower cleared me for a straight in Rwy 12L.
I was flying an Arrow and planned my descent and arrival path for about a 1/2 mile final.
Tower called "I need you direct the numbers now for spacing", so it was direct the numbers about 30-40 degrees off runway heading, turned to line up with the runway in the flare.
 
All this being said, there's nothing wrong with asking. I got put on a downwind which turned into a 7 mile (!) base at Kalamazoo the other weekend (that's out of the Class D...) due to a Citation doing pattern work and and inbound experimental with engine troubles. Once everyone was out of the way, I was told to turn base and cleared to land, sooo I just asked if I could go straight to the numbers, which he approved. Just ask!
 
My assumption is that if the controller wanted me to do something else
he would have told me. He asked for an ident on initial contact so he
knew where I was. A majority of the pilot friends I asked thought
the base turn to intercept the runway heading was the proper technique
but it was by no means unanimous.

Victor
 
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