In New Zealand I understand they have recommended circuit procedures (as all countries have), however a New Zealand aviator has given me the following advice:
I would also like to point out that traffic in NZ is allowed to join via any alternative method at an uncontrolled aerodrome, so long as traffic already established in the circuit has right of way. For example, traffic joining on final (which can be of any length) must give way to those already established on base, traffic joining overhead must give way to those already established on downwind, etc.
This is exactly what I want in Australia. In effect, it is exactly what happens in the USA and Canada – even though it is not spelled out so clearly.
Can someone tell me why a Qantas 737 arriving at a CTAF(R) with a UNICOM, when there is no other traffic there, cannot safely join directly on base to land at a non-tower airport? This is obviously safe as it is what happens in all other countries. If the Qantas 737 was coming from the south and the runway was east/west, it would either have to join on some type of downwind leg, or head 5 miles to the east or west to join on a five mile final. What a complete waste of fuel and time when safety is not improved in any way, and possibly it is decreased.
All the examples that are given here of other aircraft in the circuit pattern are simply solved by the fact that good airmanship would dictate that if there was another aircraft there, you would either follow that aircraft, or communicate with it and decide which was the best way to come in.
Personally, if I’m flying at an aerodrome and the RPT aircraft arrives (as happened recently when I was flying at Port Macquarie in my Caravan) I either extend my downwind or do something else to let it land first. This is because I generally fly for enjoyment and I don’t mind having a bit of a delay to save a lot of fare paying passengers from getting in quickly. Most other private aviators I know do this.