The traffic pattern

The traffic pattern is how airplanes take off and land in an orderly way, especially at airports without a control tower. The FAA's recommended procedures are in the AIM and Advisory Circular 90-66.

The legs

• Upwind / departure leg: flying straight out along the runway after takeoff.
• Crosswind: a 90° turn, perpendicular to the runway.
• Downwind: parallel to the runway, opposite the landing direction, at pattern altitude.
• Base: perpendicular to the runway, descending.
• Final: lined up with the runway, descending to land.

Standard patterns use left turns unless the chart, Chart Supplement or a segmented circle shows right traffic. A common pattern altitude for piston airplanes is 1,000 feet AGL, but always check the Chart Supplement for the airport's published altitude.

Entering at a non-towered airport

The recommended entry is on a 45° angle to the downwind leg, at pattern altitude, abeam the midpoint of the runway. Make your radio calls on the CTAF as you approach, enter downwind and turn base and final. If you have to cross over the airport to get to the right side, do it well above pattern altitude.

Departing

Continue straight out or make a 45° turn (in the direction of the pattern) after reaching pattern altitude, or as the airport's procedures say.

The segmented circle

At many non-towered airports, a segmented circle holds the wind indicator (a windsock or tetrahedron) and traffic pattern indicators, L-shaped markers that show which way to turn. Imagine yourself landing on the runway the indicator points along: the short leg of the L shows the direction of the base-to-final turn.