The Official Guide to Flying a Traffic Pattern
Written by Randy Jones

Table of Contents
1. Elements of a Traffic Pattern
2. Flying the Traffic Pattern
3. Entering the Traffic Pattern
4. Departing the Traffic Pattern
5. Traffic Pattern Operations and Operational Considerations

Section 1 -- Elements of a Traffic Pattern

When you takeoff or land under VFR or Circle to Land IFR proceedures, you will find yourself utilizing the airport's traffic pattern. The traffic pattern is not listed on any form of visual aid, but the type of traffic pattern is indicated in the published Airport/Facilities directory. There are two basic types of traffic patterns, a Left pattern and a Right pattern. These patterns are very easy to learn. A Left pattern is the standard traffic pattern, and is employed at most airports. When you fly this pattern, all of your turns are to the LEFT. A Right pattern is the non-standard traffic pattern, and is used at airports with parallel runways or that have noise abatement proceedures, obstacles, or some other reason which the Right pattern is used. All turns in this pattern are to the RIGHT. Pretty simple, eh? Let's talk more about what elements make up a traffic pattern.

A traffic pattern is composed of five main parts: the upwind leg, crosswind leg, downwind leg, base leg, and final leg. Take a look at the diagram below to see where these parts fit in on the traffic pattern before this discussion is continued further. Take a good look at this diagram and remember where each leg is. It should be self explanatory. Now, proceed to the next section to learn how to fly the traffic pattern.

In the Airport/Facillities Director (A/FD) you will find the specified altitude at which to fly the pattern that's appropriate for the runway that you'll be using. If you do not have this directory handy, a good rule of thumb is to fly the pattern at 1,000 feet above the runway elevation for slower aircraft, and at 1,500 feet for larger and faster aircraft. Also, keep the downwind leg within 1/2 NM of the active runway for smaller and slower aircraft, for larger aircraft you can stretch it out to 3/4 to 1 NM out from the runway, as a higher speed requires more room to turn. Also, remember to keep your airspeed below 200 kts so you can make turns without overshooting by ten miles and limit your turns to 30 degrees of bank. With that in mind, here's how to fly the pattern.

For training purposes, let's use a Cessna 152. Go to FlightSim.com and download one to try this out yourself for practice. Takeoff from the active runway and maintain the runway heading. Climb out at your normal climbing speed (For a C-152, that should be about 67 KIAS). Note the wind and make any changes as needed to maintain that heading. You are on the Upwind leg. At 300 feet below the Traffic Pattern Altitude (TPA), turn 90 degrees to the crosswind leg. note the wind, and correct as needed. Keep the climb coming up to TPA. After you've flown this heading for almost 1/2 NM, turn again 90 degrees and start your downwind leg. As you start this turn, you should be at or near the TPA. When you're established on downwind, adjust the throttle to normal cruise, note the winds, and maintain a straight heading. Do not refer to your instruments, use visual references to guide you, as it's much easier. Before you reach midfield, or the center of the active runway on your downwind leg, make sure your "Before Landing" checklist has been completed, pull out the carb heat (if you have it) and note the landing proceedures for your aircraft. Also make sure your landing lights are on. When you are "at the numbers" of the landing runway, pull the throttle back (For a Cessna 152, you'd want the throttle to be somewhere between 1500 and 1700 RPMs), slow your airspeed a bit (Again, for a Cessna 152, slow to 70 KIAS), drop a notch of flaps and the gear, and start a 500 FPM rate of descent. Check your VSI to confirm this and pick an outside reference to fly by. This is where the fun begins. Watch the position of your aircraft relative to the runway threshhold. When your aircraft is approximately 45 degrees from your intended landing point (the "numbers" as it may be called, being the numbers on the runway), turn 90 degrees again and establish yourself on your base leg. Note the wind and make sure your airspeed is constant. Once you're established on base, evaluate your position relative to the runway again. If you're too high, lower the nose. If you're too low, increase power and raise the nose to level out for a minute so you can reenter the descent for a landing. At this time, drop another notch of flaps and reduce your airspeed by 5-10 kts, depending on aircraft type (Your Cessna 152 should slow down to 65 KIAS). Keep watching your position from the runway, and when you find yourself to be about 10 degrees from the "numbers" and the final leg, turn onto final, making sure to check for any unannounced traffic that decided to make a lazy straight in landing without telling you. On final, set your final approach speed (In the C-152, that would be 60 KIAS, depending on the wind), set your flaps for landing, and evaluate your position. If you're on a higher than normal approach, reduce the throttle and lower the nose a bit. If you're too low, add power if needed. Whatever you do, do not retract the flaps unless you are aborting the landing and making a go-around. Once the flaps are down, they're like concrete.

Section 3 -- Entering the Traffic Pattern

There are several ways you can enter a traffic pattern, and it depends primarily if the airport is a towered or non-towered airport. The proceedures prescribed for non-towered airports can be used at towered airports, however, they have been established to create minimal conflicts with other traffic operating in the pattern.

Pattern Entry for Non-Towered Airports

As mentioned above, this proceedure can be used at towered airports as well. The standard proceedure to enter a traffic pattern is to enter on the Downwind or Upwind leg at a 45 degree angle. It's a good practice to establish yourself on this "Forty Five" as it's called, at about 2 NM out from the Downwind portion of the traffic pattern. Once established, you should be at TPA prior to entering the traffic pattern, and your airspeed should be at or below 200 KIAS. Prior to turning onto the Downwind or Upwind, keep an eye out for other aircraft working the pattern. If you find yourself about to cut off another aircraft already on the downwind, execute a 360 degree turn for spacing until that aircraft has passed you, then reenter the pattern. Please reference the diagram below, as it may explain this proceedure in greater detail.

Towered Airports

At an airport with a control tower, you will find ATC who will help you enter the traffic pattern at the airport if you're flying under VFR rules. Along with the above mentioned technique, you may be instructed to enter the traffic pattern from a different direction. Sometimes ATC may clear you for a "straight in" where you fly straight to the runway, or maybe they'll ask you to enter directly on the base leg, or crosswind leg instead. Always have a diagram of the airport handy so you can orient yourself easily with ATC's instructions.

Section 4 -- Departing the Traffic Pattern

Departing the traffic pattern is pretty simple, as compared to entering. There are two ways this can be carried out.

If you wish to directly depart the pattern upon takeoff, use this rule of thumb: You must be at least 2 NM out or 500 feet above the TPA before you can legally leave the pattern. Once you have reached this point, 45 degree turns from the upwind leg can be commenced, and once you are clear of the airport area, you may turn on course. This assures that you are clear of other arriving traffic from the airport. You may also depart from the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. Once you reach the "midfield" point, make a 45 degree turn outbound until you have cleared the airport area, then you are free to resume your own navigation.

Section 5 -- Traffic Pattern Operations and Operational Considerations

While you're in the traffic pattern, you will find several things to keep into consideration when you are flying. Always be aware of your surroundings. Keep a constant eye on the runway and your position relative to the airport. Also watch for other traffic in the pattern. You don't want to be flying a 737 at low cruse behind a landing Cessna 172. You also don't want to be turning final in your Lear 31A when there's a Piper Warrior on short final for the same runway. At non-towered airports, there is no ATC to direct aircraft, so always be sure to announce your position on each leg. For example, ";Ellensburg Traffic, Cessna 9857 Juliet, left downwind, Runway 29, touch and go, Ellensburg.", etc. Include the Airport name, your callsign, position, runway, and intentions. At a towered airport when operating in the pattern, ATC will always clear you for landing when you're at the "midfield" point. Keep in mind that ATC will not vector you around the pattern, instead, it is up to the pilot to determine his/her position relative to the runway. To summarize operational considerations, please remember the following tips:
• Keep your airspeed below 200 KIAS while operating in the traffic pattern. If you're following a slower aircraft, use shallow "S" turns to keep you well behind the aircraft, or initiate a 360 degree turn outbound of the traffic pattern so you don't overtake them.
• If an airport specifies that it uses a right pattern instead of a left, take a look around and find out why. It may be as simple as a small town next to the airport, where aircraft noise abatement proceedures are in effect. Or, there may be a large hill right next to the airstrip. Don't just assume you'll always have left traffic. Sometimes, if you take off of a parallel runway and the other runway is also in use, it may not be wise to fly a left hand pattern, as there may be aircraft using the other runway.
• Before you turn your base leg, make sure that you have your gear and one notch of flaps down, as well as a reasonable slow airspeed to bring you to your final approach speed when you turn final. Do NOT turn onto base at a ghastly 200 KIAS, you won't have time to make the runway, and it's unsafe.
• When you depart the runway to fly a traffic pattern, complete your checklists as normal. Always retract the gear and the flaps upon a positive rate of climb as indicated per your POH for the aircraft. If you're flying a 747 and you need those extra 10 degrees of flaps to keep you from going over 200 kts and a 5 degree angle of attack, then use them, otherwise, it's flaps up all the way until the numbers on downwind. Also, when taking off, maintain a constant airspeed and rate of climb. Don't do a Mickey Mouse job of climbing with fourteen different airspeeds. Pick an airspeed or use the one appropriate for your aircraft and rate of climb. For purposes of using the traffic pattern, small props should use a rate of 500 fpm, and jets should use no more than 1000 fpm. This does vary with aircraft, so try it with several different ones so you get the hang of it.