Define "Report Three Mile Downwind"

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

What does a towered airport controller mean when he responds to a pilot
announcing that he is approaching the pattern:

"Report three mile downwind, left base, runway 30"

Left base runway 30 is clear. But is the report three mile downwind an
instruction about where to join the pattern, or is it an instruction about
when to contact the controller again, once you are on downwind?

--
Will
westes AT earthbroadcast.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

In article <DNydndJzq5Bqv3nfRVn-rQ@giganews.com>,
DELETE_westes@earthbroadcast.com says...
> What does a towered airport controller mean when he responds to a pilot
> announcing that he is approaching the pattern:
>
> "Report three mile downwind, left base, runway 30"
>
> Left base runway 30 is clear. But is the report three mile downwind an
> instruction about where to join the pattern, or is it an instruction about
> when to contact the controller again, once you are on downwind?

Most pilots would interpret that as "continue doing what you are doing
(ie, make left pattern) and call me again when you are 3m dw." If the
tower wanted you not to join the pattern, he'd give you explicit
instructions.

My favorite confusing tower instruction is a young controller at SMO who
often says "cleared to rwy 21". Does he mean "taxi to 21 hold short" or
"taxi to 21 position and hold". Any sane pilot would assume hold short,
but I contend the controller ought to say it.

/Chris T

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

"Will" <DELETE_westes@earthbroadcast.com> wrote in message
newsNydndJzq5Bqv3nfRVn-rQ@giganews.com...
> What does a towered airport controller mean when he responds to a pilot
> announcing that he is approaching the pattern:
>
> "Report three mile downwind, left base, runway 30"
>
> Left base runway 30 is clear. But is the report three mile downwind an
> instruction about where to join the pattern, or is it an instruction about
> when to contact the controller again, once you are on downwind?
>
> --
> Will
> westes AT earthbroadcast.com

Will,

You are sort of getting mixed messages from ATC (vis a vis real life...)

IRL, you'd get something more along the lines of:

"Cessna 1234JB, Chandler Tower, expect right (left) base rwy xx, report two
miles..." In this case, they want you to enter the pattern on the base leg
and then simply turn final and land.

OR

"Cessna 1234JB, Chandler Tower, make left (right) traffic rwy xx, report
entering the downwind..." Here, you are being instructed to fly the entire
pattern with a 45 degree entry to the downwind, then base, then final.

What you've spelled out above sounds like a mish mosh of both entry
procedures cobbled into one.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

So you would expect the instruction to be something more like:

"Report three mile left base, runway 30."

which means:

Enter the pattern on the base leg, about three miles downwind from the
airport, and report when you make entry. Is that the gist of it?

Is that three miles from the runway 30 threshold, or is that three miles
from the center of the airport, or is that three miles plus or minus a mile
and no one is paying such detailed attention to it?

--
Will
westes AT earthbroadcast.com


"Jay Beckman" <jnsbeckman@cox.net> wrote in message
news:XT_Ee.119559$Qo.23251@fed1read01...
> You are sort of getting mixed messages from ATC (vis a vis real life...)
>
> IRL, you'd get something more along the lines of:
>
> "Cessna 1234JB, Chandler Tower, expect right (left) base rwy xx, report
two
> miles..." In this case, they want you to enter the pattern on the base
leg
> and then simply turn final and land.
>
> Jay Beckman
> PP-ASEL
> Chandler, AZ
>
>

 

[Bob]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Will wrote:
> So you would expect the instruction to be something more like:
>
> "Report three mile left base, runway 30."
>
> which means:
>
> Enter the pattern on the base leg, about three miles downwind from the
> airport, and report when you make entry. Is that the gist of it?
>
> Is that three miles from the runway 30 threshold, or is that three miles
> from the center of the airport, or is that three miles plus or minus a mile
> and no one is paying such detailed attention to it?
>

The answer could be interesting. But for my part, I only remember
"Continue straight in report 5 miles." That always made me anxious. Now
he/she expects me to know what 5 miles looks like. And everytime, just
as I'm about to call 5 miles, he/she clears me/I to land. So I feel bad
that I didn't get the call in.

--

boB,
SAG 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)