Squaring Off

Ive never thought too much about traffic patterns. Turn left or right, fly downwind, turn left or right again. Align with the runway. Land. Or not, since tower controllers may have their own idea of traffic management. The basic idea, of course, is to maneuver the airplane so you can glide to the runway under partial power and execute one of your greasers of a landing. Depending on where you fly and how good (bad) the controllers are, regularly flying a rectangular pattern to land may not be something youve done lately.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Tuesday, March 07, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article addresses a debate within aviation regarding traditional rectangular traffic patterns versus alternative curved (continuous-turn) approaches.
A primary difference between the two patterns is whether wings are leveled between turns to allow time for traffic scanning, as opposed to a continuous bank after an initial check.
Curved approaches are highlighted as an optional but valuable skill for pilots to develop, rather than a mandatory replacement for established rectangular patterns.

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I’ve never thought too much about traffic patterns. Turn left or right, fly downwind, turn left or right again. Align with the runway. Land. Or not, since tower controllers may have their own idea of traffic management. The basic idea, of course, is to maneuver the airplane so you can glide to the runway under partial power and execute one of your greasers of a landing. Depending on where you fly and how good (bad) the controllers are, regularly flying a rectangular pattern to land may not be something you’ve done lately. Maybe I’ve forgotten my angst at the time, but I never had a problem with the patterns themselves. Flying the airplane, yes. Flying a rectangle? Nope.

So I guess I’m scratching my head over the mini-controversy that’s erupted on the opposite page about curved—or continuous-turn, or circular—traffic patterns. Maybe over the years, I’ve gotten so used to doing it so many different ways that there’s nothing the guy (it’s always a guy) in the Cherokee ahead of me can do to ruin my day.