Start listening well away from the airport. Overfly above pattern
altitude if you are uncertain of pattern or procedures. Adhere
to AIM recommended procedures. Doing otherwise can lead to enforcement
proceedings if something happens. IFR inbounds can be expected
not to follow standard procedures.
Report all legs of pattern entry and the pattern itself. Include
your altitude and direction where practical. Acknowledge whether
you have any reported or unreported traffic in sight, or not in
sight. Advise when you have cleared the runway after landing.
Make a full 360 prior to taking the active on departure. Adhere
to airport abatement procedures and advise traffic of your departure
intentions.
Uncontrolled airports may be either UNICOM, in which case the
frequency is on the sectional, or not, where the frequency is
automatically 122.9. There is no FAR requirement to use the radio
at uncontrolled airports but common sense dictates that the radio
be used. These are pilot controlled airports which should be addressed
from at least 10 miles out. "Rio Vista UNICOM Cessna 1234X
Antioch bridge at 2000 request landing advisory Rio Vista",
all subsequent calls are addressed to traffic giving airport name
as first and last items. Be accurate in giving all pattern positions
and altitudes.
Uncontrolled airports put the burden of traffic control and
communications on the pilots. The see and be seen concept is the
primary collision avoidance system. The more frequently and accurately
you give your location, position, and altitude the safer your
operation. At pilot controlled airports it is important to give
traffic, and procedure advisories to other pilots. This is especially
true if non-standard procedures prevail. Initial contact either
with UNICOM or traffic should be at least 10 miles out. If unable
to determine recommended 45 degree to downwind entry overfly at
twice pattern altitude to determine favored runway. Report on
45, downwind, base final, and clear of runway. If the uncontrolled
airport has no assigned altitude use 1000' AGL. Be aware that
non-radio cropdusters or ultralights may be using the field.
Besides the problems of orientation and communication at an
airport there exists aircraft positioning. Common faults during
arrivals at airports consist of not arriving on downwind at pattern
altitude, failing to be properly trimmed, failing to initiate
downwind turn far enough away from airport, failing to make downwind
turn parallel to runway, and failing to correct for wind on downwind.
Not infrequently, all of the above will occur with one arrival
for the wrong runway or even the wrong airport.
Once in the pattern it is vital that the pilot recognize the
priorities of flying. Fly the plane first, navigate, communicate.
Get airspeed under control, fly the proper altitudes and patterns,
space yourself for traffic, communicate only if the first two
elements are correct. Your ability to divide attention in and
out of the cockpit is one of the test criteria. Altitude on downwind
should be held within 100 feet and approach speeds within 10 knots.
These are maximum allowable variations. 20 feet and 4 knots are
instructional maximums for recommendation to take the test.
Last Modified January 16, ©2026 TAGE.COM
We Help You Pass
