Turn right base on takeoff?

[John Richardson]

I'm holding short of 32 at Destin Executive ready for a VFR departure to the West. Controller comes on and clears me for takeoff and says "Turn Right Base to Right Downwind, at or below 1000". Is this the correct phraseology? Should he have said "Turn Right CROSSWIND to Right Downwind for 32, at or below 1000"? Isn't the Base leg for landing, not take offs? This was confusing to me.

 

[po1212]

Were you staying in the pattern? Normally they would say make right closed traffic for 32.

 

[Jim K]

Should he have said "Turn Right CROSSWIND to Right Downwind for 32, at or below 1000"?

yes

Isn't the Base leg for landing, not take offs?

yes

Sometimes controllers have brain farts, too. If it was really confusing to you, simply ask for clarification. I suspect you knew what he actually wanted you to do though.

 

[frfly172]

If you are confused ask the controller to clarify their instructions

 

[BillTIZ]

A quick "Roger, xxx cleared for takeoff, unable right base turn" would have quickly gotten their attention. Or maybe "Roger xxx cleared for takeoff Rwyxx, I can do a right crosswind turn out, but I can't do a right base on departure."

 

[kmacht]

So you are sitting, holding short, and have time to log on the internet to ask a bunch of questions about a departureclearance but can't pick up the microphone in front of you and ask the controller who issued it? This right here is what's wrong with society today.

 

[Daleandee]

I suspect you knew what he actually wanted you to do though.

I agree and would have made the 90º right turnout below 1000' and had a nice day ...

 

[Lowflynjack]

Yep, simple mistake.

I called left base the other day and had a panicked student pilot called out, "I"m on left base." I calmly told him he was on left crosswind, not left base and I was no factor. Made me smile remembering some of my mistakes on the radio!

 

[Lindberg]

Raise your hand if you've never announced you were on "left final."

 

[William Pete Hodges]

I'm holding short of 32 at Destin Executive ready for a VFR departure to the West. Controller comes on and clears me for takeoff and says "Turn Right Base to Right Downwind, at or below 1000". Is this the correct phraseology? Should he have said "Turn Right CROSSWIND to Right Downwind for 32, at or below 1000"? Isn't the Base leg for landing, not take offs? This was confusing to me.

I agree it was a bit confusing. You could have clarified it by using correct terminology on the readback. " xxx cleared for takeoff, right crosswind and right downwind at or below 1000'."

 

[AV8R_87]

Raise your hand if you've never announced you were on "left final."

I heard that early in my training. My CFI told me that if he ever heard me say that (or "any traffic please advise) he'd run my medical/student pilot certificate through the shredder.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Raise your hand if you've never announced you were on "left final."

I've somehow managed to avoid that one altogether.

But that might be (at times) an understandable human error after already reporting "Left" (or "right") several times in the pattern. Some of the ones that have come along into vogue in the YouTube era are worse.

 

[asicer]

Raise your hand if you've never announced you were on "left final."

I've somehow managed to avoid that one altogether.

I think it's because it's been ridiculed here on POA that I've never said that.

 

[Lindberg]

It's likely the Destin Tower controller would also tell you he didn't say, "Turn right base to right downwind." Such is the nature of attention and cognition.

 

[ateamer]

So you are sitting, holding short, and have time to log on the internet to ask a bunch of questions about a departureclearance but can't pick up the microphone in front of you and ask the controller who issued it? This right here is what's wrong with society today.

It’s a way of setting the scene. “So I’m sitting here waiting…” instead of “I was sitting there waiting”. It’s an engaging intro that puts the audience in the writer’s seat.

But yeah, it’s totally the cause for the downfall of society, which will probably be extinct before I finish the sentence because we don’t all look, talk, and act like fictional 50s TV dads.