Traffic Pattern

6 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   Kris Kortokrax on Jan 07, 2015

   Danny,

   I did get your email, just haven’t had the time to reply.

   The sentence construction suggests that you are from another country. Are you asking about flights governed by U.S. regulations?

   If so, 1500′ AGL is a pattern altitude normally used by turbine airplanes. A more normal pattern altitude would be 800-1000′ AGL. The traffic pattern altitude is not a regulatory issue. The AIM suggest modifying one’s traffic pattern altitude to maintain cloud separation. So, if your normal pattern altitude is 1000′ and the ceiling is 1400′, it would be perfectly fine for you to fly a 900′ pattern. If the airport is in Class G airspace, you could fly a traffic pattern at an altitude less than 700′ and just remain clear of clouds.

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2. 
   

   
   

   Gary S. on Jan 07, 2015

   Danny, for VFR under 1,200′ AGL, in Class G, during the day, below 10,000′ msl, you must have at least 1 mile visibility and remain clear of clouds.

   However, at some point you’ll want to fly at night so you need to know that at night the minimums jump up to basic day VFR minimums of 3 miles, 500′ below, 1,000′ above, and 2,000′ horizontally from clouds. Hope this helps.

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3. 
   

   
   

   Kris Kortokrax on Jan 07, 2015

   Gary,

   It is a bit misleading to reference the 1200′ AGL number. A quick look at the sectional chart will show that surrounding almost all airports in Class G airspace, there is a magenta shaded area over the airport. This signifies that controlled airspace begins at 700′ AGL. Since Danny was asking specifically about traffic patterns, it is unlikely that he would be in Class G airspace at an altitude of 1200′ AGL over the airport.

   I’m sure you can find examples of airports without the transition area (I know I could). But, for the vast majority of airports in Class G, controlled airspace will begin at 700′ AGL.

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4. 
   

   
   

   Gary S. on Jan 07, 2015

   Not misleading at all. Just quoting 91.155.

   Nationwide there are thousands more airports in Class G without magenta vignette, than ones in Class G with magenta vignette.

   As far as I know, the airports surrounded by magenta have published IFR approaches associated with them.

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5. 
   

   
   

   Kris Kortokrax on Jan 08, 2015

   A quick glance at the map of the US on skyvector.com shows magenta transition areas all over the place. It looks like the map has the measles.

   The most current data from DOT (2013) shows 19,453 total airports in the USA. Of those, 14,009 are private use. It is highly unlikely that Danny would be doing pattern work at a private use airport (which probably has no instrument approach and no magenta transition area, unless it falls within the transition area for a nearby airport).

   The report shows 5,155 public use airports. I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of these public use airports lie underneath a transition area.

   The pilot needs to be aware of these areas and cannot assume that since he is below 1200 AGL that he can operate clear of clouds.

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6. 
   

   
   

   Mark Kolber on Jan 09, 2015

   Ah, the old theory vs practice issue. I absolutely think it’s necessary to understand the theory of Class G to 700 vs Class G to 1200 vs Class G to 14,000 to Class G to a specific altitude that may be even higher.

   But in terms of what is actually out there at public use airports these days, it’s mostly Class G to 700. Gary is absolutely right that “the airports surrounded by magenta have published IFR approaches associated with them” but consider that the FAA has been creating GPS approaches for airports where there have never been approaches before, and at a rapid pace. It doesn’t take a reference to raw data. As Kris says, all one needs is to look at a sectional.

   Here are skyvector sectionals centered on 20V in the Colorado Rockies (http://skyvector.com/?ll=40.053408226239114,-106.36889647982494&chart=301&zoom=8) and Grant, NM (http://skyvector.com/?ll=35.167222478954045,-107.90185546429672&chart=301&zoom=8). Even in these remote and mountainous areas, public airports with instrument approaches and Class E beginning 700 AGL and lower predominate.

   That seem to be true of almost any part of the map you want to check. Gary, can you show us an area where this is not the case?

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