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2 Answers

Traffic Patterns

Asked by: 1022 views Commercial Pilot

Do Airline pilots have to comply with traffic patterns or sense they have a flight plan they don't have to comply I'm confused.

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2 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jun 25, 2023

    They do if going to a nontowered airport. There are FAA enforcement cases against airline pilots who did right traffic at a left traffic airport. The direction of pattern rules don\’t have an exception, except for circling approaches when the \”correct\” pattern is NA.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Jun 27, 2023

    BTW, have you read the new AC99-66C, “Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations”?

    https://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/1041885

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