? on Pattern

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onealmr
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Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 3:22 pm

? on Pattern

Post by onealmr »

At approx 20:55 pst (give / take a few minutes), as I'm approaching Redding Municipal from the south, the ATC informed me (if my memory serves me right...I have slight dementia), "Left Downwind, cleared for landing RNW 16". Do I assume the "left" is the west side of the airstrip? I know this is probably a stupid question. Maybe I got the xmission wrong.


Michael
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Kevin_atc
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Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 7:01 pm

Re: ? on Pattern

Post by Kevin_atc »

Any sort of pattern entry instruction refers to the direction of turns you’ll be making. It has no meaning regarding which side of the airport you’re on as a left downwind for runway 16 is the same for an aircraft approaching from the north as it is for one from the south.

This is very basic VFR knowledge and because of that, I’d recommend you take some time to look over the pilot training content as well as Keith’s VFR workshop videos. They’re lengthy, but they’re all included with your PE membership and they will 100% make you a better pilot.

Workshop videos: https://www.pilotedge.net/workshops
Training program: https://www.pilotedge.net/pages/cat-ratings
Kevin
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Keith Smith
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Re: ? on Pattern

Post by Keith Smith »

Being on the WEST side of the field would mean RIGHT turns in the pattern for 16. The LEFT downwind is a reference to the nature of the turns that the controller wanted you to make in the pattern, as Kevin mentioned above. Hence, if you flew on the west side, it would definitely be incorrect given those instructions.

He's right, this is fundamental to flying VFR patterns with ATC, definitely study up on this material.
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