I don’t know … I would agree if your example had been a VFR approach. Some pilots prefer steeper angles with less power, some fly lower and with more power … and I would say all that is fine if you know what you are doing. But an IFR approach should not be subject to “interpretation”. It should be flown strictly by the rules and the numbers if you want to stay safe. I don’t see much room for personal style here. Ok – some pilots will not use full flaps before they break out of the clouds and some will switch off the A/P 100 feet above DA, while others will leave it on until the last moment … but that’s about it.
My point exactly.
I have now ceased to visit one particular airfield because of the “strict” attitude to pilots. Last time there I was the only aircraft approaching and no circuit traffic, wind on the nose and lined up for runway in use 10 miles out BUT a straight in was denied and “over head join only please” was the answer to my request for a straight in. Fuel is too expensive to waste!
Fenland_Flyer wrote:
I have now ceased to visit one particular airfield because of the “strict” attitude to pilots.
What is it with this attitude of never naming and shaming? Seriously – if you get treated badly somewhere, speak up!
“Overhead join only, please” …. does that already qualify as beeing treated badly? C’mon! Let us talk about how much fuel that costs ;-)
Peter wrote:
I thought the reason for LH circuits is that the PIC normally sits on the left (fixed wing) so he can see properly. RH circuits are a lot harder to fly unless you fly B52-sized ones. In most 4-seaters you cannot see the runway properly (or at all) on a reasonably tight RH circuit.
Ha! I never thought of that. I’m sure you’re right… unless of course the circuit direction preceded side-by-side seating in which case it might be the other way round.
Take another example though… following line features, is there any fundamental reason why we should fly on one side and not the other? I’m sure you can discuss propeller direction rotation and whether human psychology makes it quicker to turn to the right or the left, but I suspect it all goes back to maritime law and Napoleon’s sword hand. We do need at least a minimalist set of rules to play by.
Flyer59 – I did not say or even consider I was treated badly but it was a complete unnecessary waste of time and fuel. It was listed as an example of pernickety things in aviation which I think this thread is about. 172Driver I think you are right in that and next time I shall (if there is a next time of course!).
Maybe I reacted this way, because when I fly I will gladly fly any longer approach than a shorter one. That’s one of the things I never understand: Most of us fly too little anyway – how important can it be to fly a shorter approach and to save 1/2 gallon of fuel?
I understand that it’s a criteria for an air taxi pilot who flies the same short route six times a day between two islands. …
In his (recommended) book “Contact Flying”, Jim Dulin makes a solid case for left- or right-hand circuits according to wind direction – so that the final turn is into wind. Arguably, blind adherence to a LH circuit has been a contributory factor to quite a few “impossible turn” fatalities.
