If you haven't seen it, https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/AC_90-66B.pdf
This replaces guidance from 1990 and 1993.
Highlights, with my comments in italics:
- *Drones CAN operate at uncontrolled fields in Class G airspace without
notifying anyone. Yikes. (One wonders if an airport sponsor/city can
regulate or ban UAS operations at its uncontrolled airport.) Drones are
supposed to stay under 400' AGL, but we all know this regulation gets
violated every day. *
- "Pilots are reminded that the use of the phrase, “ANY TRAFFIC IN THE
AREA, PLEASE ADVISE,” is not a recognized self-announce position and/or
intention phrase and should not be used under any condition." *Take
THAT, regional airline pilots flying into Alamosa! (This was already in the
AIM.)*
- "The use of “inbound for landing” should also be avoided. For example,
instead of saying, “MIDWEST TRAFFIC, EIGHT ONE TANGO FOXTROT TEN MILES TO
THE NORTHEAST, INBOUND FOR LANDING RUNWAY TWO TWO MIDWEST,” it is more
advisable to say, “MIDWEST TRAFFIC, EIGHT ONE TANGO FOXTROT TEN MILES
NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, LANDING STRAIGHT IN RUNWAY TWO TWO,
MIDWEST.” *Guess
I'll be changing my phraseology, as I'd always used "inbound for landing."*
- "Pilots are reminded that IFR circling approaches, practice or actual,
require left-hand turns unless the approach procedure explicitly states
otherwise. This has been upheld by prior FAA legal interpretations of §
91.126(b)."
- "Aircraft should always enter the pattern at pattern altitude,
especially when flying over midfield and entering the downwind
directly." *OK,
something else I have to fix. I was originally taught (and have taught many
others) to cross over at pattern altitude. Then I read somewhere (PHAK or
AIM) that we should cross over 500' higher than the pattern and descend
into the pattern once turning downwind, so I'd been doing that. Turns out
my original instructor from 38 years ago was right in the first place:
Thanks, Jeff! *
- "Turning Crosswind. Airplanes remaining in the traffic pattern should
not commence a turn to the crosswind leg until beyond the departure end of
the runway and within 300 feet below traffic pattern altitude. Pilots
should make the turn to downwind leg at the traffic pattern altitude." *I
was always taught, and teach others, to make the first turn at 400', now
it's 700'? That is a long upwind when taking off from SKX or ALS in an
underpowered airplane! For example, you'll be two miles from the liftoff
point if you're climbing at 60 kts. and doing so at a rate of 350 feet per
minute. Of course, very few pilots will read this guidance, so we're going
to have some folks still turning crosswind about a mile out and others not
until two miles or so. LOOK OUT, EVERYONE. *
Be safe out there. Don't assume many other pilots know as much as you do
now about the above.
Marc Coan
marc@xxxxxxxxxxxx
