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Vatsim Tower Study Guide (Traffic Pattern Section)


William Bunn 1043911
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William Bunn 1043911
Posted
Posted

The traffic pattern entry table in the Tower (Traffic Pattern) Study guide is confusing. The example is Left Traffic for runway 18 and indicates aircraft approaching from the east should cross the active at midfield and make a 45 degree entry... and that aircraft approaching from the west should make a 45 degree enty. Why would an aircraft approaching on the downwind side fly across the airport? It seems to me traffic from the west should cross the airport and turn downwind. Have they inadvertently exchanged the east and west instructions. The the traffic pattern example in chapter 4 of the AIMs appears to be correct and opposite of the examples shown in the Tower (Traffic Pattern) section.

 

Thanks for any comments.

William Bunn

Delta Virtual CFI

ZLC Student Controller

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Garry Morris 920567
Posted
Posted

William, based only on your description, it does sound backwards. In the exact situation you described the eastbound (approaching from the west) aircraft should cross midfield to join a left downwind for 18. The westbound (approaching from the east) aircraft should make a 45 degree entry before crossing the airport (since they're approaching from the same side as the traffic pattern).

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Garry Morris 920567
Posted
Posted

William, I believe you're right.

 

http://www.vatusa.net/training/tower.html#The_Traffic_Pattern

 

It looks like the grid of pattern entries is [Mod - Happy Thoughts]uming runway 36 is active, not 18. Would like a second set of eyes from another controller to make sure I'm not getting this backwards.

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Ross Carlson
Posted
Posted (edited)

The table of phraseology examples is definitely for runway 18, according to the preceding sentence. What's not clear is the direction of traffic. The example quoted in the preceding paragraph definitely states left traffic, but only one of the examples in the table specifies the pattern direction. Definitely confusing.

Edited by Guest

Developer: vPilot, VRC, vSTARS, vERAM, VAT-Spy

Senior Controller, Boston Virtual ARTCC

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David Baker 1004102
Posted
Posted

Agreed.

ZMP_BD

MITRE OP1 survivor

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