How to Enter the Traffic Pattern at a Towered Airport

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Video note: With regard to the upwind/departure leg, it’s only an upwind leg on a go-around. However, pilots are likely to hear ATC reference the departure leg as the “upwind leg.”
0:00 Intro
0:11 Legs of a Traffic Pattern
0:54 Left Traffic vs Right Traffic
1:21 Example 1: Downwind Entry
1:19 Traffic Pattern Altitude
2:45 Entering the Downwind
5:43 Example 2: Base Entry
7:06 Example 3: Straight-in Entry
8:30 Knowing your Distance from the Airport
9:32 Non-standard Instructions
10:08 Real Air Traffic Control for Your Home Flight Simulator

[@sparty837]

The trick in x-plane is getting the views correct without multiple monitors.

[@pilotedgeATC]

We have a flight simulator consultant who can help you with that. DM us on Facebook or Instagram @pilotedgeatc if interested!

[@wadahabbasher]

Great video, very informative!

[@manit9128]

Great video and very clear to understand. Thank you!

[@jakew9887]

Excellent presentation. Thanks

[@dannythevito3205]

This answered every question I had before doing some pattern work tomorrow thanks!

[@Bellatrix100]

I love this video❤️Everything makes sense❤

[@scotthoran3704]

Question, in this great and helpful video and the chart supplement i looked up on Foreflight, the TPA for single engine aircraft is listed as 1203' for KSBP. I've been seeing a lot of videos lately of controllers berating pilots for not flying procedures for noise abatement or some similar unpublished VFR procedures. Looking up the website for San Luis Obispo airport, they have specific instructions for single engine aircraft to fly a 1712' TPA. So what would you do here in real life and/or PE World?

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Does "Turbine" mean turboprops? IE Cessna 208 or Kodiak?

[@robertmcdaniel8147]

If I am approaching runway 29 heading 110 degrees, can I make a zero degree entry to the downwind or am I expected to maneuver to make at 45 degree entry? Thanks

[@pilotedgeATC]

Per the AIM, you should widen out from the airport so you can still make the 45 entry. However, at a towered airport, that’s not as necessary since the tower is giving you the instruction.

[@robertmcdaniel8147]

@@pilotedgeATC To clarify, when the tower instructs "Make right traffic..::, whether one's heading is parallel to or at 90 degrees from the downwind leg, no maneuvering to a 45 degree entry is necessary, Thanks

[@mrmisterno1]

Today I was west of KSBP and was instructed to enter a right downwind for runway 29. How should I execute this in a correct manner? I overflew the runway and did a 180 to join the right downwind and the controller made me feel like I was the dumbest person alive when I did this. I tried to get some clarification afterwards but didn't get a good answer. Should I fly around the whole class D and then come in from the other side?

[@pilotedgeATC]

Overflying the airport and joining the right downwind would have been the right move there. Visit our Discord to discuss further with our community. PilotEdge . Net / discord

[@mrmisterno1]

@@pilotedgeATC Interesting, that's what I did. But maybe I should have joined the downwind right away instead of doing the usual recommended teardrop entry?

[@pilotedgeATC]

@@mrmisterno1 the teardrop procedure is only for non towered airports, unless specially requested to do so by the tower.

[@cgtbrad]

I had this happen once at KFRG approaching from the west and wast instructed to enter a left downwind on the east side of the airport. I asked the controller how they would like me to cross the airport and they quickly corrected them self instructing me to enter a right downwind. If they indeed wanted me in the left downwind I would have done a direct entry in the downwind from overhead. I only execute teardrop entries if the traffic pattern at the airport is busy and necessitates it. I don't really like being so low so far from the airport. I'd much rather get down to the runway from a 'high key' type position have have a lot more options for engine out scenarious. Saves a bit of gas too!

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Honestly this is one of my biggest fears/hangups with flying online. I'm so afraid of having trouble entering the pattern, and a big part of that is somethign like this, being given a pattern entry on the other side of the airport and then having NO idea how to do that. Sadly this video just covered the "easy" entries where the controllers gave an entry that made sense from the direction of approach. But EG if they had said "right downwind" on the second example how the heck would he get over there to do so? Like you said the only two real options are overfly or go all the way around then come back in. If you overfly what altitude do you do it at? The whole process is very difficult/confusing for a non real world pilot.

[@pgreenx]

at 3:17 assuming you were approved to enter the pattern, can you cross the runway overhead at say 500 feet above pattern altitude and do a 200+ degree turn and enter the downwind at 45 that way (vs going the designated flight path you have in red? Hope this makes sense

[@pilotedgeATC]

Absolutely not. That would be in direct violation of the controller’s instructions. Also, there’s really no need to conduct that lengthy turn unless you’re high. But if you are entering high, it would be far easier to request an extended downwind.

[@pgreenx]

@@pilotedgeATC ok thanks I’m a flight sim noob and all I heard controller say was enter right down wind. I guess I’m confused with a cross runway approach on a field with now controller. Thanks

[@pilotedgeATC]

@@pgreenx have you tried our CAT rating program?

[@pgreenx]

@@pilotedgeATC I'll check it out. thanks

[@drawmaster77]

What does it mean when they say turn left closed traffic

[@pilotedgeATC]

It would be “make” left/right closed traffic. That’s simply the direction of pattern to fly.

[@thepowerofraw8184]

Upwind is for go around this part is wrong departure Leg is when you takeoff not upwind everyone confuses this

[@pilotedgeATC]

Not quite. Reference AC 90-66C. Departure leg is used when departing the pattern/area. The upwind is used for other instances, or when operating on the side opposite of the downwind leg. Regardless, it’s important to know that in a towered environment, ATC will very likely use these terms interchangeably so you need to expect that and react accordingly, even if ATC may be technically incorrect in their terminology.

[@philliponcarbs]

moar~~!!!!

[@TheBeedeegee]

What does the "with zulu" part of the call mean?

[@pilotedgeATC]

That’s the ATIS code

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Zulu is the ATIS code but on Pilot Edge specifically it means he is using custom weather not real world weather. this means if real world weather for example is IMC he can still fly VFR.