EXERCISE SEVENTEEN
The Circuit
The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) After take-off there will be a straight climb into
terminology for the circuit is "aerodrome traffic cir- wind, normally to a height of 500 feet. and then a 90
cuit." It is defined as: "The speci fied paths to be degree tum cross-wind. The cross-wind leg is a con-
flown by aircraft operating in the vicinity of an aer- tinuous climb to circuit height where the aircraft is
odrome:' The circuit is often erroneously referred to as levelled off, Then a 90 degree tum brings the aircraft
the "traffic pattern." Although the latter does involve onto the downwind leg. The downwind leg is flown
the circuit, the correct defin ition of traffic pattern is: so as to track parallel with the intended landing path.
"The geographica l path flown by an aircraft after it On the downwind leg any necessary pre-landing
enters a control zone and until it enters the downwind checks are made. When past the downwind boundary
leg of the aerodrome traffic circuit." an appropriate distance, another 90 degree tum is
The prime purpose of an orderly and well defined made onto the base leg. Whcn within gliding distance
circuit is safety. However. circuit procedures are also of the landing area and a gliding approach is desired
fundamental to the execution of good approaches and the throttle is closed and the aircraft is put into a glide.
landings. Just before reaching the intended line of the final
The basic pattern of the circuit remains fi xed, but approach, another 90 degree tum is made onto final
its orientation is determined by the headin g of the approach and the aircraft is kept in line with the centre
runway in use at the time. A plan view of the circuit of the runway until the landing is completed (see
(Fig. 2-46) shows that it is rectangular in shape and F;g.2-46).
has the following components: The strength of the wind will affect the heading to
be steered on the cross-wind and base legs of the cir-
I. Take-off. cuit. Maintain a track over the gro und, which is at
2. The cross-wind leg (not to be confused with circuit right angles to the landing path. Thus, during the base
jo ining cross-wind). leg, an aircraft in a very strong wind will be heading
3. The downwind leg. well in toward the aerodro me although its path over
4. The base leg. the ground will be at right angles to the landing
5. The final approach. path.
On all legs of the circuit it is essential to maintain
In actual practice, at controlled airports it is custom- a good look-out on both sides. above, and below.
ary for pilots and controllers to omit the word The latter part of the circuit is usually called the
" leg" when referrin g to the circuit components, e.g.: approach. Technically, the approach to landing com-
"Burton tower I FOXT ROT. AL PUA. BRAVO. CHARLIE mences on the downwind leg, at the turning point
I downwind;" "FOXTROT, AL PHA, BRAVO, CHARLI E I from downwind to base leg. Exactly where or when
Burton tower I report turni ng base." It is recom- the tum onto the base leg is made will depend largely
mended that the downwind call be when the aircraft on the strength of the wind. The stronger the wind.
is abeam the control tower. the steeper the angle of descent will be during the
Unless special conditions exist and there is author- final straight approach; therefore, the sooner the tum
ized advice to the contrary, all circuits are left hand; onto the base leg should be made.
therefore, all turns within the circuit arc left turns. When on the base leg, adj ust the heading to allow
In addition, unless otherwise authorized, all normal for drift and j udge when to start the glide (or descent)
circuit heights are 1,000 feet aboveaerodrome elevation. by the angle at which the runway is observed - the
99
100 The Circuit
Base leg
_ Final ｡ ｰｲｯ｡｣ ｾ ＧＺ ｾ Ｚ［］Ｍ Ｚ ＷＢ Ｗ Ｚ ＫＭ ｾ
Normal left-hand t raffic circu it ｾ Ｍ
90"_ Key position
ｾ ＼］Ｍ Teke-ott
Downwind leg-- - -
Cross-wind leg
Figure 2-46 Aerodrome Traffic Circuit
stronger the wind the greater this angle should be. necessitate the adoption of a right-hand pattern, for an
Once the descent has begun, you can judge whether entire airport or for specific runways. The exceptions
the aircraft is going to be too high or too low on the are listed in the Canada Flight Supplement.
final approach and correct by appropriate use of flaps
or power.
Judge the whole circuit in relation to the runway, Spacing
not in relation to other points on the ground. This will
rapidly improve your judgement of approaches and It is extremely important that you be constantly aware
changes of runway, landing direction, or aerodrome of the position of other aircraft in the circuit. partic-
will not be upsetting. It will also help you consider- ularly those that are ahead of you in the pattern. Be
ably in j udging other types of approaches. careful not to "cut off" a preceding aircraft by turning
onto the base or final leg out of proper sequence.
Maintain suitable spacing between your aircraft and
Right Hand Circuits the one ahead to allow thai aircraft time to land and
taxi clear of the runway. If you crowd the preceding
The standard direction of any aerodrome traffic circuit aircraft it may be necessary for you to execute a
is left hand. However, exceptions occur where traffic missed approach and "go around;' which in these cir-
conflicts with other airports, or hazardous terrain cumstances is an unnecessary waste of flight time. At
The Circuit 10 1
the same time, overspacing in a busy circuit will without two-way radio communication should remain
inconvenience aircraft that are following you. Correct clear of control zones.
spacing is a judgement skill you must develop as Automatic Terminal Information Service ( ATIS) is
quickly as possible. It takes into account such matters provided at many larger airports. The recorded broad-
as wind direction and strength, and the circuit speeds cast includes weather, runway, and NOTAM information
of other aircraft. Correct spacing may be accom- affecting the airport. Where it is provided, you should
plished by widening or narrowing your circuit and/or monitor the ATIS broadcast prior to calling the ATC
increasing or decreasing airspeed. facility, and inform ATC on first contact that you have
received the pertinent information.
Controlled Airports
Joining the Circuit
A control zone is controlled airspace about an airport
or military aerodrome of defined dimensions extend- When returning to an airport for landing, advise the
ing upward from the surface to a specif ied height control tower of your identification, geographical
above ground level. Civilian control zones with con- location, or estimated distance in miles and direction
trol towers are normally designated as Class "8," "C" from the airport, and altitude. Then request landing
and " D," within wh ich special regulations apply. instructions. If you are outside the control zone you
Control zones without operating control towers are us- must do this prior to entering the zone. When the con-
ually designated Class "E." For information concerning trol tower gives you clearance "to the circuit" you are
airspace classification, refer to the RAe section of the expected to join the circuit on the downwind leg at
Aeronautical Inf ormation Publication (A. l.P.) Canada. circuit height. The descent to circuit height must be
made outside of the arca occupied by the circuit.
"Cleared to the circuit" authorizes you to make a
Leaving the Circuit - Co ntro lled Airpo rts right tum, if required, to join cross-wind, or to joi n
the downwind leg provided the right turn is only a
When an aircraft leaves the circuit after take-off it partial turn that can be carried out safely (Fig. 2-47).
does one of two things. It either operates outside the When cleared by the control tower for a "straight in"
circuit while remaining within the control zone, or it
approach, you are authorized to join the circuit on the
leaves the control zone. When an aircraft remains final approach leg without having executed any other
within the control zone, the control tower will most
part of the circuit. The same ruling applies to being
likely ask that it ( I) remain on the control tower fre- authorized to join on base leg.
quency; (2) advise the type of exercise; (3) advise the When an aircraft has been cleared to land by a con-
altitude at which the aircraft will be flown; and
trol tower it does not mean the runway is clear of all
(4) advise where the flying will be carried out. When hazards. Any known hazards will be mentioned at the
an aircraft intends to leave the control zone, permis- time of the clearance; however, at times of restricted
sion to cease monitoring the control tower frequency visibility or at night, when a view of the runway from
must be granted by the control tower so long as the
the tower may be limited, unauthorized vehicles or
aircraft is in that tower's control zone. The control
animals may have moved onto the runway without the
tower exercises jurisdiction over all V FR traffic within
controller's knowledge. As the pilot, it is your final
its control zone. A V FR aircraft may not operate within responsibility to keep a look-out for hazards on the
a control zone without permission from the appropri-
landing and manoeuvring area. You alone must decide
ate control tower, even though the aircraft may be
whether it is acceptable to land considering your air-
using another airport within the control zone.
craft and level of flying skill.
When leaving the circuit, if the aerod rome traffic
circuit is left hand you may execute a right-hand tum
after take-off only with permission from the contro l
tower. If this permission cannot be granted, you must Uncontrolled Aerodromes
follow the tower controller's instructions until clear of
the zone. An uncontrolled aerodrome is an aerodrome without
After leaving the circuit it may be necessary to fly a control tower or one where the tower is not in oper-
through the control zone of another airport at which ation. An airport which is a certified aerodrome (see
you do not intend to land. It is compulsory that you Chapter 5) can also be uncontrolled. There may be no
make radio contact with the control tower in this zone air-to-ground radio communication at an uncontrolled
and remain under its control until out of the zone aerodrome. However, at many sites there is a man-
again. Unless some special prior arrangement is made datory or aerodrome traffic frequency on which com-
with the appropriate Air Traffic Control unit, aircraft munication can be established with a Flight Service
102 The Circuit
•
Departures
Final approach
( - + .-
+t::== Crosswind leg
Base leg -
- +- • '-----+----"
-: Downwind leg
Figure 2-47 Standard Left-Hand Traffic Circuit at Controlled Airports
1
Stat ion or a locally based aircraft operator. These Where no mandatory frequency procedures are in
facilities exercise no control over aircraft, but they can effect, aircraft should approach the traffic circuit from
be very helpful in advisi ng of surface wind s, the the upwind side, or, if no conflict exists with other
runway being used by others, known air and ground traffic, the aircraft may join the circuit on the down-
tra ffic, runway conditions, weathe r, etc . Pilots are wind leg (Fig. 2-48).
encouraged, and in many cases, required to monitor Where mandatory frequency procedures are in
and make use of any radio or unicorn communications effect and airport and traffic advisory information is
that may be available at uncontrolled aerodromes, and available, aircraft may join the circuit pattern straight
to transmit po sition repo rts and broadca st their in or at 45 degrees to the downwind leg, or straight
intentions before joi ning and while in the circuit. in to the base or final approach legs. Be alert for other
VFR aircraft entering the circuit at these positions and
for Instrument Flight Rules ( IFR) aircraft on straight
Leaving the Circuit in or circling approaches. The pilot of an aircraft
inbound on an If·R or practice instrwnent approach
After take-off, climb straight ahead on the runway may give a position report that you do not understand.
heading until reaching the circuit traffic altitude Do not hesitate to request clarification in order to gain
before commencing a tum in any direction to an en a clear und erstanding of that aircraft 's position and
route heading. Turns back toward the circuit or airport intentions.
should not be initiated until at least 500 feet above Normally the runway to use for landing is the one
the circuit altitude. most nearly aligned into wind. However, the pilot has
final authority; therefore, for the safe operation of the
Join ing the Circuit aircraft another runway may be used if the pilot deems
it necessary.
When returning to the airport for landing take full
advantage of air-to-ground communications for Taxiing on a Runway in Use
advice. Many conditions can change at an airport after
even a short absence. If you cross the airport to make It is sometimes necessary to tum 180 degrees and taxi
observations, the cross-over must be done at least 500 back down the runway to position the aircraft for take-
feet above the circuit altitude. The descent to circuit off, or after landing in order to clear the runway. Do
height should be made on the upwind side so as to th is as quick ly as possible consistent with safety.
join the circuit at circuit altitude in level flight. Under Remember, after landing, until the runway is cleared
normal circumstances, circuit height is 1,000 feet above no other traffic has landing priority.
aerodrome elevation.
The Circuit 103
• ..
Departures
Final app roach
( --+----..
4- Base leg
_ _ _ _...
. \ : Crosswind leg
. '--- -+- - -----'
Downwind leg
Aircraft may join if no conflict exists.
Agure 2-48 Traffic Circuit Procedures at an Uncontrolled Airport
Approach and Landing 105
• Wind direction
ｾ I
ｾ
Starting to level off: Levelat two to Attempting 10 hold same landing: all hying
15 to 30 feet altitude three feet altitude altitude by increasing angre speed is lost
(5 to 9 metres) (1 metre) as speed is lost
Figure 2-49 Landing
about the same distance as you would in a car trav- back and the throttle closed. This requires the dcvcl-
elling at the same speed. The distance at which the opment of fine timing, technique, and ju dgement of
vision is focused should be proportionate to the speed height and distance.
of the aircraft. Thus, as speed decreases, the distance The point at which the aircraft is flared makes all
ahead of the aircraft at which it is possible to focus the difference to the subsequent landing. Much research
sharply beco mes closer; therefore, the focus should be has bee n done with a view to find ing out how an
brought closer accordingly. However, if your vision is experienced pilot j udges this point. Here are some
focused too closely, or straight down, obj ects become suggestions which may be helpful:
blu rred and react ions will be either too abru pt or
delayed too long. I . Try to judge the height of the aircraft above the
At the very outset, form the habit of keeping one landing surface using the height of known objects.
hand on the throttle control throughout the landing. If 2. Try to j udge that point at which the gro und seems
a situation suddenly arises that requires an immediate to be coming up so rapidly that something must be
application of power, the time necessary for recogniz- done about it.
ing the problem, moving the hand to the throttle, open- 3. Watch the ground where touchdown is expected.
ing it, and havi ng the eng ine respond, is too great. When it appears to start to approach rapidly, check
Bounces are common at the initial stages of training the rate of descent by easing thc control column
and pro per use o f the throttle at the exact instant is back.
imperative. 4. Note the point at whi ch the whol e area o f the
In addition to practising power assisted approaches, landing surface seems to expand.
at every opportunity you should practise landings from 5. Note the po int at whic h movement o f grou nd
full glides, with the engine throttled back to idling. suddenly beco mes apparent.
This type of approach is very necessary to develop the
j ud gement and planning required for forced landing Once the actual process o f landing is started, the
procedures. elevators should not be pushed forward to offset any
When the airc raft is within IS to 30 feet (5 to 9 ordinary erro r in backward movement of the controls.
metres) from the ground, the flare (round-out) should If too much back pressure has been exerted, this pres-
begin. Once started, it should progress continuously sure may be either slightly relaxed or held constant,
until the aircraft is on the gro und. If your speed is depe nd ing on the degree of error. In some cases it
co rrec t, as back pressure is applied to the control may be necessary to advance the throttle slightly to
column the aircraft will begin to lose speed and start compensate for a loss of speed.
to settle. As the ground "comes up," continue to ease When the aircraft has come to within 2 or 3 feet
the control column back. This movement of the eleva- ( 1 metre) of the ground, check its descent by further
tor control is timed so that the slow, smooth, continu- back pressure on the elevator control. At this point the
ous, backward movement holds the aircraft just above aircraft will be very close to its stalling speed; there-
the surface until the desired landing attitude is attained. fore, backward pressure does not increase or maintain
Nose wheel aircraft should contact the ground on the height as might be expected. Instead, it slows up the
main wheels first, with no weight on the nose wheel. In sett ling pha se, so that the a irc raft wi ll to uch the
tail wheel aircraft all wheels should touch the ground ground gently in the desired landing attitude. Remem-
simultaneously, with the elevator control all the way ber, as was evident in yo ur slow fligh t train ing, as
