Helicopter Flight Information

Airport Traffic Patterns and Procedures

How you conduct yourself in the airport environment is what will noticeably set you apart from the average pilot.  Throughout the course of your career you will witness a lot of inappropriate conduct at airports which will include improper pattern procedures as well as poor communication procedures.  It is important to remember that there are several reasons for the procedures while in the traffic pattern at an airport, with one of the most important is remaining within gliding distance of the airport in the event of an emergency.  If you are in a helicopter there is no way you will reach the airport if you are more than 1/4 mile from the runway in the event of an engine failure.  An airplane will not reach the runway if they are more than 1/2 mile away.  Altitude is another important factor as well, not just because of reaching the runway, but to ensure you are at the same altitude of other aircraft of your type so you can see and be seen.  You must also remember that most engine failures occur during a power change, and nowhere will there be more significant power changes than in the traffic pattern.

The most common errors in the pattern will include improper altitudes within two miles of the airport which are a danger to all pilots in the area since these aircraft are not where one would expect to find them.  Many pilots will descend in the pattern which is extremely dangerous since other pilots may not be able to see them.  If you can not get a traffic report from the FBO or other traffic, then it is acceptable to fly a straight-in approach if you know the winds, or you can over-fly the airport at 2,000 ft AGL to determine the direction of wind.  If you choose to over-fly the airport, then you must fly outbound for two miles before descending to the appropriate pattern altitude.  Some self important pilots will call long finals which is inappropriate to say the least.  If the aircraft is further out than the proper pattern, then they are on a straight-in approach, not final, which is fine as long as it won't disrupt the flow of aircraft already established in the pattern.

Communications at non-towered airports is another sloppy area in general aviation where you can demonstrate proper procedures setting yourself above the rest.  Always remember the proper context, 'who you are', 'where you are', and 'what you want to do'.  No other unnecessary words or information.  Conversation on the radio with other aircraft is not just rude, but it causes conflicts and congestion at other airports where people may need the frequency.  Remember that the same radio frequencies are shared by many airports well within range of your aircraft.  Continued below diagram...

Remember that you should make your first call to a class E or G airport 10-miles out.  This should be a simple call, "Obion traffic, helicopter seven niner zero seven sierra, ten miles south inbound for landing; traffic advisories please, Obion".

Of course you should have already listened to the weather if there is such a service at the airport where you will be landing.  Otherwise you will be dependant upon the FBO or other traffic to advise you of favored runway, winds, and traffic.  Be aware that often traffic in the pattern will not be paying attention to wind changes, and sometimes continue to land on the same runway even after a wind change has occurred favoring another runway.  In such a case, do not hesitate to suggest the appropriate runway, and insist on it if others don't change.  It is far better for you to be safe rather than just going along with inappropriate procedures.

Your second call should be 5-miles out, and should include your intentions with regard to entering the pattern in effect.  Again, if there is no traffic or if traffic is very light, you could elect to execute a straight-in approach if you are already reasonably aligned with the landing runway.  Otherwise, you should plan to execute the proper pattern entry procedure 2-miles from the airport.

In the case above you could call as follows, "Obion traffic, helicopter seven niner zero seven sierra, five miles out on the 45 for left downwind runway four".  Notice that we do not say "runway zero four"; a common error in aviation communications is preceding a single digit runway number with a zero; where do people get that one?  When you make this call, you should ensure that you will be at traffic pattern altitude two miles from the airport.

You will hear pilots making some excessive calls in the traffic pattern such as a call for every pattern leg which is okay for training, but not when there are several aircraft in the pattern needing to use the radio who can't get a word in edgewise.  You should consider making the most important calls; in a helicopter, you can combine some calls since the turns are so close together that they are often not even visually separated.  An example of this is the turn from upwind to downwind or the turn from downwind to final.  In this case I often make the following call:

"Obion traffic, helicopter seven niner zero seven sierra, base to final, taxiway parallel runway four, Obion".

Remember that you should fly the appropriate pattern for the aircraft you are flying.

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Last modified: 12/31/2011