Craziness in the Stapleford pattern
Doesn't stop the muppets though who can't oreintate their approach plates to north.... or glider pilots.... sorry chaps we know we have to give way to you but flying a directly OPPOSING downwind isn't really fair.
G
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Gliding
There are a number of UK fields that share powered and winch gliding operations, these often result in powered having (for example) a RH circuit and Gliders having a LH circuit for the same strip, as the gliding circuit is usually tighter, that can result in a Glider 'beating' the powered a/c on the downwind, and causing conflicts on finals.
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That's what we do in Belgium, too, at most places. See
http://fed-ulm.be/gegevens/prak/ulip/pdf/EBAM.nl.pdf
for one example of an a/d that defines the circuit wider for faster planes.
http://fed-ulm.be/gegevens/prak/ulip/pdf/EBAM.nl.pdf
for one example of an a/d that defines the circuit wider for faster planes.
... and a Quik in the DPM circuit would be a nonsense.
Avoid imitations
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During my initial powered training in 1973, (I'd already soloed in a glider by then), the airfield had gliders and SEP operating together. Both landed on the same runway. Left of the centreline was for powered aircraft, the right side was for gliders.
The only incident I recall was when the "non-radio" tug pilot (a known ageing cowboy who limped badly, walked with a stick and wore bottle bottom glasses), "joined" the powered circuit unannounced by converging with the downwind leg , complete with tow cable and cut right in front of myself and my instructor. The end of the cable passed a few metres ahead of our prop.
My instructor got out after we landed. I was sent off for some solo circuits. As I took off, my instructor marched across to the tug pilot and apparently had him by his lapels!
I've just realised that was 38 years ago. The airfield is no more and is now just another housing estate. The aircraft was deregistered over two decades ago and the instructor took his final flight from earth even before that.
The only incident I recall was when the "non-radio" tug pilot (a known ageing cowboy who limped badly, walked with a stick and wore bottle bottom glasses), "joined" the powered circuit unannounced by converging with the downwind leg , complete with tow cable and cut right in front of myself and my instructor. The end of the cable passed a few metres ahead of our prop.
My instructor got out after we landed. I was sent off for some solo circuits. As I took off, my instructor marched across to the tug pilot and apparently had him by his lapels!
I've just realised that was 38 years ago. The airfield is no more and is now just another housing estate. The aircraft was deregistered over two decades ago and the instructor took his final flight from earth even before that.
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When I fly here, out of Santa Monica Airport, ATC regularly extends the downwind to get bigger biz jets of faster aircraft in. Just yesterday they gave me the common "I'll call your base, 686HF". And even weirder, they very often get you to do a right 360 on final to let someone in behind you!
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I have had 3 near misses with gliders, now i'm not a motorist-v-cyclist kind of guy. I soloed in gliders before i even got in a powered A/C, buuuuut.....
I had the afore mentioned down wind experience, the bloke actually had the balls to transmit a rather huffy "Did you not see me" we replied "No not really" i bet our prop and engine sounded pretty loud in his cockpit, I'd say 100ft separation directly opposed. Instructor had a 'word' to the co-ordinator on the ground as i fuelled up.
I have had a glider perform an overhead Join (well beetle in from outside-in)AT circuit height lucky i was late downwind and descending as he passed over the top.
and i have had a glider find a nice thermal approximately in the 90 deg nook around Base and Final. that caused a wee 'verbal' on the ground, i taxied over to the van and was not diplomatic in my choice of language whilst expressing my extreme dissapointment.
Sometimes we just don't help ourselves.
I had the afore mentioned down wind experience, the bloke actually had the balls to transmit a rather huffy "Did you not see me" we replied "No not really" i bet our prop and engine sounded pretty loud in his cockpit, I'd say 100ft separation directly opposed. Instructor had a 'word' to the co-ordinator on the ground as i fuelled up.
I have had a glider perform an overhead Join (well beetle in from outside-in)AT circuit height lucky i was late downwind and descending as he passed over the top.
and i have had a glider find a nice thermal approximately in the 90 deg nook around Base and Final. that caused a wee 'verbal' on the ground, i taxied over to the van and was not diplomatic in my choice of language whilst expressing my extreme dissapointment.
Sometimes we just don't help ourselves.
