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Circuit etiquette

Balliol, how would you go around from a point on say mid downwind, if catching up with someone?

I ask this because I have just had a lunch with someone who narrowly survived a nasty crash where the primary cause was much slower traffic ahead, and then it was compounded by a distraction which reduced the speed further. The AAIB report is not out yet so I am not saying more. But it will be a learning experience.

I don’t know the right answer but if it was me I would turn away from the circuit and sod off for 10-20 minutes. Airfields are like petrol stations… you get 5-10mins of manic traffic and then a gap.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Maintaining circuit height, turn towards the runway and cross just to the dead side and continue the circuit pattern. This should re sequence you and any further joining traffic will have to give way to you.

Ps in the military instrument approach traffic has priority over visual circuit traffic, not sure if that is true of civilian airfields off hand

Last Edited by Balliol at 28 Mar 20:50
Now retired from forums best wishes

I had a close encounter recently where I was flying a slow aircraft and another faster aircraft left going around so late that it appeared to some on the ground that he came within a few metres of my tail as I was landing. Obviously I was oblivious to the situation as I cannot be trying to look behind me while landing a taildragger.

`My aircraft is yellow, I was in full radio contact with the airfield A/G service, so why leave it to almost crisis point with a very low go around?

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

Balliol wrote:

Ps in the military instrument approach traffic has priority over visual circuit traffic, not sure if that is true of civilian airfields off hand

Aircraft on final approach have “priority” over other traffic (actually, the wording in SERA.3210(c)(4) is that other traffic are obliged to give way). So yes, an aircraft on an instrument final approach would have “priority” over aircraft in the visual circuit.

Last Edited by Airborne_Again at 29 Mar 08:57
ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

I don’t know if it was @Dave_Phillips but talking about better etiquette than mine, yesterday some nice PA31 doing flight calibration voluntarily offered to orbit downwind so that we could continuing following the ILS (we were VFR and started 16 miles out) at southend.
Thank you!

Last Edited by Noe at 29 Mar 12:08

They get paid by the minute, you pay by the minute, so win-win except for the one who pays for the calibrator…

Biggin Hill
36 Posts
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