It was a bright spring day, perfect for a first solo. I sent a fledgling up at the nontowered airport with instructions to do three takeoffs and landings, then return to the ramp. There was another first solo already underway. Traffic pattern altitude (TPA) at the airport is 1,500 feet msl. Field elevation is 472 feet. There is one runway, 15/33. This information is published on the VFR sectional, and in the chart supplement. And, one would think, this information would be accessed and or referred to by the pilot in command of any aircraft before arriving at the airport.
I watched the first lap, hand-held radio in hand. It went great, so I ducked back inside the FBO to answer a question from the office manager about the schedule. I hadn’t been inside for more than five minutes when one of the airport regulars came in saying, “There is someone flying right traffic for Runway 15. And they are low.”
