Takeoff Turns (How soon)

[brian]]

I've always heard 500'. Sometimes at klit, I've been asked to either maintain runway heading or turn (I don't remember the phrase) 090 after takeoff. Usually one of you pros are inbound in that case...

Around here, I like to be more than 500' over the trees, so waiting or even hurrying the turn depends upon the airport....

 

[RyanB]

Never heard that either, as long as you are atleast 500' AGL and clear of obstacles i don't see any problems

 

[timwinters]

I'm surprised none of our controller dudes have chimed in.

 

[FastEddieB]

Never heard that either, as long as you are atleast 500' AGL and clear of obstacles i don't see any problems

If you read through the thread, you will see problems with early turnouts enumerated for both towered and non-towered airports.

 

[rwellner98]

Never heard that either, as long as you are atleast 500' AGL and clear of obstacles i don't see any problems

Here's a problem:

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20141012X30001&key=2

 

[cirrusmx]

if not under a specific clearance, as soon as practical and safe. perhaps?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Two weekends ago, someone did exactly that to me while I was in the pattern with my CFI. We had just rolled out into downwind. The Mooney that departed behind us cut his crosswind turn early and popped up right in front of us. Like "Whoa holy ****" right in front of us. The tower was not amused, based on the phone call instructions the Mooney got.

 

[Henning]

I've always heard 500'. Sometimes at klit, I've been asked to either maintain runway heading or turn (I don't remember the phrase) 090 after takeoff. Usually one of you pros are inbound in that case...

Around here, I like to be more than 500' over the trees, so waiting or even hurrying the turn depends upon the airport....

What if your terminal altitude is 100'agl?

 

[MAKG1]

What if your terminal altitude is 100'agl?

Then you're either a pipeline wrangler or a crop-duster, and you don't give a @#$^ anyway, 'cause everyone knows time is money and safety is over-rated.

 

[Henning]

Then you're either a pipeline wrangler or a crop-duster, and you don't give a @#$^ anyway, 'cause everyone knows time is money and safety is over-rated.

Safety is the great illusion, it doesn't really exist anywhere in nature. To believe one is ever safe is delusional. That said no sense being stupid about things either, and there are worse results to accidents besides death.

Actually if you limit yourself to 100' AGL over 90% of the country you used to be in some pretty clear airspace. If I am not crossing short final or 3000' down most runways, I have no traffic outside of the occasional helicopter. Now a days with the nifty quad copters, it may get more interesting down low as farmers use them to survey their crops, find their livestock, and such. The main risk comes from antennas.

 

[Old Geek]

Then you're either a pipeline wrangler or a crop-duster, and you don't give a @#$^ anyway, 'cause everyone knows time is money and safety is over-rated.

Thanks for the coffee spew.

 

[N801BH]

Safety is the great illusion, it doesn't really exist anywhere in nature. To believe one is ever safe is delusional. That said no sense being stupid about things either, and there are worse results to accidents besides death.

Actually if you limit yourself to 100' AGL over 90% of the country you used to be in some pretty clear airspace. If I am not crossing short final or 3000' down most runways, I have no traffic outside of the occasional helicopter. Now a days with the nifty quad copters, it may get more interesting down low as farmers use them to survey their crops, find their livestock, and such. The main risk comes from antennas.

MET towers are getting most pilots out here..

 

[JimNtexas]

Here in Austin the GA runway is ~9000 feet long. They usually give you a heading to fly along with your takeoff clearance.

If you don't start turning you flivver well before the end of the runway you'll get a spanking from the tower for sure.

 

[Henning]

Here in Austin the GA runway is ~9000 feet long. They usually give you a heading to fly along with your takeoff clearance.

If you don't start turning you flivver well before the end of the runway you'll get a spanking from the tower for sure.

Long Beach back in the day combined a lot of Heavy traffic, MD-11s mostly, and light GA on 30, it was expected that you turn off before you run into the wake turbulence ahead of you.

 

[FastEddieB]

Here in Austin the GA runway is ~9000 feet long. They usually give you a heading to fly along with your takeoff clearance.

If you don't start turning you flivver well before the end of the runway you'll get a spanking from the tower for sure.

Like I said, I learned to fly and later taught at Opa Locka, with a 10,000' runway.

Procedure was still to get permission for an early turnout. Per standard procedures, the tower should be able to expect pilots not to turn until after the runway threshold. Turning before that can interfere with traffic entering or in the pattern.

I always ask when I'd like an early turn. Since sometimes it's delayed due to traffic, I'll stick with that procedure as the safest and most conservative action.

BTW, if I ever fly out of Austin and they want to spank me for maintaining the runway track to the end of the runway, I'll come to the spanking prepared with documentation justifying my actions.