Pattern Etiquette

[TedR3]

I was making my first unsupervised solo today. Because of visibility, I was forced to just stay in the pattern.

Everything went great but I had a situation arise where I was unsure what to do.

Before I took the runway on one lap, a Skylane announced it was leaving a holding pattern for a 10 mile final for a practice instrument approach. I made my crosswind call, and as I turned downwind the Skylane announced a 5 mile final (I think). When I made my downwind call, the Skylane responded that he was No. 2 to land and looking for me.

I made my base and final calls, and while I was on short final, he announced going around.

Two questions, who has the legal right of way here? And even if I did, should I have done a 360 on the downwind to allow the Skylane to land?

As I read the regs., an aircraft on final generally has the right of way, but if 2 aircraft are approaching the airport, the aircraft at lower altitude has the right of way. I would interpret that to mean an aircraft on downwind at pattern altitude has right of way over an aircraft on 5 mile final.

Nonetheless, I have feeling that the “right” thing to do would have been to do a 360 or depart the pattern and return on the 45 to allow the Skylane to complete its approach.

 

[Jim Logajan]

§ 91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace.

(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized or required, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an airport in a Class G airspace area must comply with the requirements of this section.
(b) Direction of turns. When approaching to land at an airport without an operating control tower in Class G airspace—
(1) Each pilot of an airplane must make all turns of that airplane to the left unless the airport displays approved light signals or visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, in which case the pilot must make all turns to the right;

Also applicable to Class E, D, and C airports. If not read carefully, one could read the regulation above as disallowing straight-in approaches to non-towered fields. It doesn't actually require entry to a standard pattern, but if you need to turn at all to get onto final approach, the rule seems to require you to enter the pattern. But it's got so much room for interpretation and misinterpretation that it isn't surprising the subject is a perennial one.

An anal literal reading would imply that if you turn too soon onto final from base, you'd be in violation if you tried to correct and join the runway center line by turning to the right, however slight that turn would be! As I see it, the regulation as written is unable to properly stand on its own because it attempts to rely on "common knowledge" among the regulated community on what it is attempting to address. Someone new to the regulations and flying would be right to read it and say "What the bloody hell does this mean!??"