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Compliance with the basic rectangular traffi c pattern reduces the possibility of conflicts at airports without an operating control tower. It is imperative that the pilot form the habit of exercising constant vigilance in the vicinity of airports even though the air traffic appears to be light. The objective is to have both the fast and the slower weight-shift control (WSC) aircraft completing the pattern at the same interval. 

The slower the aircraft is, the tighter the pattern is, as shown in Figure 10-1.  The terminology is a “tight pattern” or “inside pattern” for the slower WSC aircraft in operations with faster aircraft. Using Figure 10-1  as an example, if the airplane is flying the pattern at 80 knots and the WSC aircraft is fl ying an inside pattern at 40 knots (that is half the distance), then the WSC aircraft and the airplane will fly around the pattern with the same interval. The WSC pilot must determine the size of the pattern to create the same interval. This is commonplace at nontowered airports where WSC aircraft operate with faster aircraft. Both aircraft are going around the pattern at the same time with the slower WSC aircraft flying a tighter pattern and the faster airplane flying the larger pattern. In Figure 10-2,  the WSC aircraft is establishing an inside airport pattern turning from crosswind to downwind. In Figure 10-3, the aircraft shown is in the middle of the downwind leg flying an inside pattern. 

When entering the traffic pattern at an airport without an operating control tower, inbound pilots are expected to listen to the other aircraft on the CTAF (Common Traffi c Advisory Frequency), observe other aircraft already in the pattern, and conform to the traffic pattern in use. If other aircraft are not in the pattern, then traffic indicators on the ground and wind indicators must be checked to determine which runway and traffic pattern direction should be used. [Figure 10-4 and  10-5]  Many airports have L-shaped traffi c pattern indicators displayed with a segmented circle adjacent to the runway. The short member of the L shows the direction in which traffic pattern turns should be made when using the runway parallel to the long member. These indicators should be checked while at a distance away from any pattern that might be in use, or while at a safe height above pattern altitudes. When the proper traffic pattern direction has been determined, the pilot should then proceed to a point clear of the pattern before descending to the pattern altitude. 

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