Traffic Pattern Entries

Making right turns to join left-hand traffic patterns is not a FAR violation because ‘vicinity’ is not defined.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Monday, January 22, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot questioned the legality of an FAA-recommended upwind traffic pattern entry for non-towered airports, which involves a right turn, citing FARs generally requiring left turns in the airport's vicinity.
The FAA initially argued that the right turn occurs *before* formally "approaching the airport" within the regulatory definition, thus not violating the pertinent FARs.
After further discussion, the FAA acknowledged ambiguity in the regulations but clarified that they do not enforce turn direction outside the established traffic pattern, implying no enforcement action for the depicted entry method.

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Responding to the article “Parallel Runway Traps” in our October 2023 issue, reader and ATP/CFI Jerrold Seckler took us to task for an image showing an airplane crossing over a non-towered airport from the upwind side and then executing a right turn to enter the traffic pattern. The FAA’s version of this image, the left panel of figure 8-3 in the Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH, FAA-H-8083-3C), is reproduced at right.

Jerrold wrote to point out the image’s recommendation would seem to be in violation of “FARs 91.126 and 91.127, which require all turns be made to the left when operating in the vicinity of an airport in Class G or E airspace unless right turns are specified.”