## Airport Traffic Patterns and Operations 

Just as roads and streets are essential for operating automobiles, airports or airstrips are essential for operating airplanes. Every flight begins and ends at an airport or other suitable landing field; therefore, it is essential that pilots learn the traffic rules, traffic procedures, and traffic pattern layouts that may be in use at various airports. 

When an automobile is driven on congested city streets, it can be brought to a stop to give way to conflicting traffic; however, an airplane can only speed up, climb, descend, and be slowed down. Consequently, traffic patterns and traffic control procedures have been established for use at airports. Traffic patterns provide procedures for takeoffs, departures, arrivals, and landings. The exact nature of each airport traffic pattern is dependent on the runway in use, wind conditions (which determine the runway in use), obstructions, and other factors. 

Control towers and radar facilities provide a means of adjusting the flow of arriving and departing aircraft and render assistance to pilots in busy terminal areas. Airport lighting and runway marking systems are used frequently to alert pilots to abnormal conditions and hazards so arrivals and departures can be made safely. 

Airports vary in complexity from small grass or sod strips to major terminals with paved runways and taxiways. Regardless of the type of airport, a pilot must know and abide by the rules and general operating procedures applicable to the airport being used. The objective is to keep air traffic moving with maximum safety and efficiency. Information on traffic patterns and operating procedures for an airport is documented in the Chart Supplements, as well as visual markings on the airport itself. The use of any traffic pattern, service, or procedure does not diminish the pilot’s responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft during flight. 

## Standard Airport Traffic Patterns 

To assure that air traffic flows into and out of an airport in an orderly manner, an airport traffic pattern is established based on the local conditions, to include the direction and altitude of the pattern and the procedures for entering and leaving the pattern. Unless the airport displays approved visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, the pilot should make all turns in the pattern to the left. 

When operating at an airport with an operating control tower, the pilot receives a clearance to approach or depart, as well as pertinent information about the traffic pattern by radio. If there is not a control tower, it is the pilot’s responsibility to determine the direction of the traffic pattern, to comply with the appropriate traffic rules, and to display common courtesy toward other pilots operating in the area. 

A pilot is not expected to have extensive knowledge of all traffic patterns at all airports, but if the pilot is familiar with the basic rectangular pattern, it is easy to make proper approaches and departures from most airports, regardless of whether or not they have control towers. At airports with operating control towers, the tower operator can instruct pilots to enter the traffic pattern at any point or to make a straight-in approach without flying the usual rectangular pattern. Many other deviations are possible if the tower operator and the pilot work together in an effort to keep traffic moving smoothly. Jets or heavy airplanes will frequently fly wider and/or higher patterns than lighter airplanes, and in many cases, will make a straight-in approach for landing. 

Compliance with the basic rectangular traffic pattern reduces the possibility of conflicts at airports without an operating control tower. It is imperative that a pilot form the habit of exercising constant vigilance in the vicinity of airports even when the air traffic appears to be light. Midair collisions usually occur on clear days with unlimited visibility. Never assume you have found all of the air traffic and stop scanning. 

Figure 7-1  shows a standard rectangular traffic pattern. The traffic pattern altitude is usually 1,000 feet above the elevation of the airport surface. The use of a common altitude at a given airport is the key factor in minimizing the risk of collisions at airports without operating control towers. 

When operating in the traffic pattern at an airport without an operating control tower, the pilot should maintain an airspeed of no more than 200 knots (230 miles per hour (mph)) as required by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 91. In any case, the pilot should adjust the airspeed, when necessary, so that it is compatible with the airspeed of the other airplanes in the pattern. 

When entering the traffic pattern at an airport without an operating control tower, inbound pilots are expected to observe other aircraft already in the pattern and to conform to the traffic pattern in use. If there are no other aircraft present, the pilot should check traffic indicators on the ground and wind indicators to determine which runway and traffic pattern direction to use. [Figure 7-2]  Many airports have L-shaped traffic pattern indicators displayed with a segmented circle adjacent to the runway. The short member of the L shows the direction in which the traffic pattern turns are made when using the runway parallel to the long member. The pilot should check the indicators from a distance or altitude well away from any other airplanes that may be flying in the traffic pattern. Upon identifying the proper traffic pattern, the pilot should enter into the traffic pattern at a point well clear of the other airplanes. 

