Traffic Patterns
Private Pilot ACS · Area III · Task B · AIM, FAA-H-8083-3
Everything you need to know about Traffic Patterns for your private pilot checkride. Aligned to FAA-S-ACS-6C Task III-B, covering traffic patterns.
Standard Traffic Pattern §
Direction: Left turns unless right-hand pattern specified ("RP" in Chart Supplement).
Altitude: 1,000 ft AGL for piston aircraft; 1,500 ft AGL for turbine.
Legs: Upwind (after T/O) → Crosswind (90° turn) → Downwind (parallel, opposite direction) → Base (90° turn toward runway) → Final (aligned with runway).
Non-towered entry: Overfly airport at least 500 ft above pattern altitude to observe traffic before entering. Enter on 45° to downwind, or straight-in if pattern is clear.
Altitude: 1,000 ft AGL for piston aircraft; 1,500 ft AGL for turbine.
Legs: Upwind (after T/O) → Crosswind (90° turn) → Downwind (parallel, opposite direction) → Base (90° turn toward runway) → Final (aligned with runway).
Non-towered entry: Overfly airport at least 500 ft above pattern altitude to observe traffic before entering. Enter on 45° to downwind, or straight-in if pattern is clear.
AIM 4-3-3
Non-Towered Airport Calls §
Use CTAF for all position reports. Standard calls:
• 10 miles out: "[Airport] traffic, [aircraft type/ID], 10 miles [direction], inbound for landing, [airport]."
• Entering pattern leg: "[Airport] traffic, [ID], entering downwind [runway]..."
• Base turn, Final turn, Clear of runway
If no radio: Rock wings before entering pattern. Observe tower light signals if tower is present but no radio.
• 10 miles out: "[Airport] traffic, [aircraft type/ID], 10 miles [direction], inbound for landing, [airport]."
• Entering pattern leg: "[Airport] traffic, [ID], entering downwind [runway]..."
• Base turn, Final turn, Clear of runway
If no radio: Rock wings before entering pattern. Observe tower light signals if tower is present but no radio.
AIM 4-1-9
Wind Correction in Pattern §
Crosswind leg: Crab into the wind to maintain perpendicular ground track to runway.
Downwind leg: Crab into the wind to maintain parallel track. Adjust power — downwind with a tailwind will require reduced power to maintain spacing.
Base leg: Wind from behind (if runway into wind). May require steeper descent and shorter base leg to avoid overshooting final.
Final: Crab or wing-low to track centerline. Remove drift at touchdown.
Downwind leg: Crab into the wind to maintain parallel track. Adjust power — downwind with a tailwind will require reduced power to maintain spacing.
Base leg: Wind from behind (if runway into wind). May require steeper descent and shorter base leg to avoid overshooting final.
Final: Crab or wing-low to track centerline. Remove drift at touchdown.
AFH Ch.8
Wake Turbulence & Collision Avoidance §
Vortices sink 400–500 fpm and drift downwind. Heaviest aircraft at slowest speed = worst vortices.
Following a large/heavy aircraft: Land beyond their touchdown point and upwind side of centerline. Depart before their rotation point, climb above their flightpath.
Collision avoidance: Scan systematically in 10–15° segments. Pause on each segment — motion detection is better when not sweeping. Check above, below, and level. Bright lights and sunglasses help during day ops.
Following a large/heavy aircraft: Land beyond their touchdown point and upwind side of centerline. Depart before their rotation point, climb above their flightpath.
Collision avoidance: Scan systematically in 10–15° segments. Pause on each segment — motion detection is better when not sweeping. Check above, below, and level. Bright lights and sunglasses help during day ops.
AIM 7-3-5; 8-1-6