It's actually easier (for me, anyway) to set up a good approach flying the traffic pattern or circuit than doing a straight-in, especially if there's no VASI lights. Since you're closer to the field, you can see the runway better to adjust your speed and altitude.

 

Standard left-turning traffic pattern:

 

Get established in level flight at 1000' AGL (Above Ground Level) as you enter the pattern on a 45° angle. You can find the airport altitudes on the Map information. Your airspeed should be "compatible with other aircraft in the pattern." Somewhere around the top limit of your flap-operating range (the white arc on your airspeed indicator) should be fine. If you look downward to your left, you should be far enough away to have a clear view of the runway as well as the surrounding taxiways and ramps. Take note of any aircraft on the runway or that appear to be moving toward it. This is the Downwind leg, as the wind should be at your back.

 

Pull the power back as you go past the end of the of the runway. Keep the wings level, continuing away from the airport as you slow down. Gradually raise the nose to maintain your 1000' altitude. Adjust the trim as needed, to prevent you from having to hold pressure on the controls. I normally add a little bit of flaps here, once I'm safely within the white arc on the airspeed gauge. As you reach your desired approach speed (probably around 75kts), lower the nose a little bit to maintain that speed and begin descending. From here on, you will control your airspeed by raising or lowering the nose. If your altitude is too low, add power with the throttle then raise the nose a bit to maintain your speed. If too high, remove power then drop the nose a bit to stay at your desired speed.

 

While stabilizing your speed, also be looking back to the left. When the near end of the runway is about centered between the wing and the tail, begin a 90° turn to the left. Level the wings so that (in high-wing aircraft) the left wing isn't blocking your view of the runway. This is the Base leg. Continue to maintain approach speed. You may add more flaps if needed. Check the runway and taxiways again for traffic.

 

It takes some practice on exactly when to begin your last turn, onto Final. Turn too early and you'll line up on the taxiway (or worse) and have to slide the plane to the right. Turn too late and you'll overshoot and have to turn back in to the left. Maintain your speed. Add the rest of the flaps, if required. Many airfields have a Visual Approach Slope Indicator or VASI that help you determine if you are too high or too low on your approach. Again, add or remove power to control your altitude.

 

Look down the length of the runway for other aircraft. Also look above the far end of the runway to make sure nobody is landing in the opposite direction. Been there, done that, missed by 20' (post-landing "chat" revealed they had their radio on the wrong frequency). If you see anyone else in the way, don't land.

 

As you cross the end of the runway, gently pull any remaining power back and try not to land. Attempt to maintain level flight a foot off the runway while shedding speed and bringing the nose up a bit. Allow the plane to settle onto the runway as or before the tail-wheel drops to the level of the main wheels. Two-point (on the main gear) or three-point (all wheels at once) landings are up to you. But you do want to avoid the one-point landing where the tail-wheel touches first.

 

I'm still struggling some with landing the Maule myself, as I'm a tricycle-gear-only guy in the real world. Tail-draggers are tricky.

 

However, the first step to a good landing is a good approach.

Standard left-turning traffic pattern

 

Great post! You should post it in the Flight tutorial section too!

 

BTW Very obvious, I think, but for the new pilots who don't know it: you can mirror that pattern anyway you want to, depending on the runway in use and where you are coming from. Patterns do not always have to be flown left.

Thanks, I figured I'll let it percolate for feedback, flesh it out more and post it there in the Tutorials. I'll have to grab some pictures to illustrate it more.

 

Left-traffic is the norm (easier for a pilot in the left-seat to see the runway), but there are many exceptions due to terrain or building obstructions, restricted airspace, and so on. To see an example, Dillingham is right-traffic when the winds call for landing to the west. Otherwise, you'd be getting real friendly with the mountain to the south of the field.

Left-traffic is the norm (easier for a pilot in the left-seat to see the runway), but there are many exceptions due to terrain or building obstructions, restricted airspace, and so on. To see an example, Dillingham is right-traffic when the winds call for landing to the west. Otherwise, you'd be getting real friendly with the mountain to the south of the field.

 

Didn't know about left-traffic being the norm, although it's indeed obvious (left-seat). But what when you approach the airport from the other side...? FSX ATC always lets you enter the circuit on the side you were coming from. If I was coming from the bottom of that first picture and I HAVE to enter the left pattern at the top, how would I get there...? Do I have to fly wide around the pattern (on the right) or can I simply fly over the airport at a higher altitude and then turn around to enter the pattern?

You cannot (or should not, but I'm pretty sure it's cannot) descend into the circuit pattern. You descend on the non-traffic side of circuit and join mid-downwind over-flying the runway at circuit height. ATC can clear you to join or depart with a non-standard turn, and I'm pretty sure you can join on the other base (but it's really not preferred). Wish I could scan one of those circuit joining diagrams that various civil aviation authorities print for pinning on walls.

 

Mike

Didn't know about left-traffic being the norm, although it's indeed obvious (left-seat). But what when you approach the airport from the other side...? FSX ATC always lets you enter the circuit on the side you were coming from. If I was coming from the bottom of that first picture and I HAVE to enter the left pattern at the top, how would I get there...? Do I have to fly wide around the pattern (on the right) or can I simply fly over the airport at a higher altitude and then turn around to enter the pattern?

 

Well, you do whatever ATC tells you to do at a Towered airport, of course. My favorite was when Dothan told me to "extend my downwind over Wal-Mart" for straight-in traffic to pass by on Final. Nice reference for a turn-point, huh? :Peace:

 

If approaching an uncontrolled airport and there's no other traffic around, you can announce you are entering the right-hand pattern if that's more convenient for you. Unless I was a in big hurry or low on gas, I'd probably circle around to the other side, though. I try to do things the same way every time, when I can. If there is already traffic in the pattern, I'll join whatever side they are on, unless there will be a big speed difference between us.

 

You can also fly right over the top of the field then turn back, but you want to be at 1000' above pattern altitude (2000' AGL), or at least 500' if overlying controlled airspace prevents you from going higher. Keep in mind that larger, faster aircraft may be flying a 1500' AGL pattern. If so, you need to remain at least 500' above them.

Hi Folks

 

The Passenger Charters provide little feedback,

the Light Cargo & Clandestine Cargo co-pilots provide a little more,

 

By far the quickest & best way

to obtain feedback and improve your landing performance,

is to work through the -

- Missions - Tutorial 2 - Landing, (5 minutes)

- Challenges - AIRCRAFTTYPE Landing Challenges, (2 minutes)

 

Just fly a couple of them each day, (repeatedly),

and over time you'll see your touchdowns improve.

 

HTH

ATB

Paul

You cannot (or should not, but I'm pretty sure it's cannot) descend into the circuit pattern. You descend on the non-traffic side of circuit and join mid-downwind over-flying the runway at circuit height. ATC can clear you to join or depart with a non-standard turn, and I'm pretty sure you can join on the other base (but it's really not preferred). Wish I could scan one of those circuit joining diagrams that various civil aviation authorities print for pinning on walls.

 

Good point to raise... "standard" entry and departure does vary depending on where you are. Different countries may have different rules and/or practices.

 

Do what the locals do. :unknw:

This is true. This link goes to what is the 'standard' in Oz. I'm sure there would be an FAA equivalent:

http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/pilots/download/nta_brochure.pdf

 

FAA types:

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/74C9017C9457E4AB862569D800780551?OpenDocument for non-tower (might be out of date though)

 

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/TOC.html#Chapter 4. Air Traffic Control

You'll have to copy this one - I couldn't make the link work.

 

Mike

Overflying the field at TPA and joining midfield downwind is not standard in the US though I have seen some people do it at uncontrolled airports. if it is necessary to overfly, I've been taught to do so at 500 feet over traffic and descend wide on the traffic side to TPA before joining the 45.

Thanks, I figured I'll let it percolate for feedback, flesh it out more and post it there in the Tutorials. I'll have to grab some pictures to illustrate it more.

 

Whenever you do so, I'll delete the one I just "Promoted to Tutorial" and edited from the Tutorial section.

 

I'm considering rearranging the Tutorial section just a little bit to have these sort of tutorials more "generic" rather than sim-specific. The "Flight - Early Tutorials" section is starting to become a bit crowded and cluttered... :Nerd:

I'm not haha, still learning about flying and the aircraft

 

Well, maybe this will help...

 

 

A - Magnetic Compass

 

Shows the aircraft's heading relative to magnetic north. While reliable in steady level flight it can show incorrect indications when banking, climbing, descending, or accelerating due to the inclination of the Earth's magnetic field and the effects of inertia. For this reason, a gyroscopic Heading Indicator is typically used as the primary heading reference.

 

B - Chronometer

 

A fancy clock. Not very important for MS Flight, but can be quite important in the real world.

 

C - Airspeed Indicator

 

Indicates the aircraft's speed relative to the surrounding air by comparing "static" barometric air pressure to ram-air pressure collected by the forward-facing pitot probe (hanging under the Maule's left wing). The indicated airspeed can be noticeably less than your true airspeed due to air pressure and density variables. The wind also affects your actual speed across the ground.

 

A set of standardized colored arcs and lines are marked on the face of the instrument:

• The white arc is the normal range of operating speeds for the aircraft with the flaps extended, as for landing or takeoff.
  
• The green arc is the normal range of operating speeds for the aircraft without flaps extended.
  
• The yellow arc is the range in which the aircraft may be operated in smooth air, but only with caution. Abrupt control movements or "bumpy air" could cause wing-loading in excess of safe limits, potentially damaging the aircraft.
  
• A red line indicates V_NE, or Velocity (Never Exceed). This is the maximum demonstrated safe airspeed that the aircraft must not exceed under any circumstances. Structural failure or loss of flight-control authority is likely beyond V_NE.
  

D - Attitude Indicator

 

Shows the aircraft's attitude relative to the horizon. From this the pilot can tell whether the wings are level and if the aircraft nose is pointing above or below the horizon, even in poor visibility conditions.

 

E - Barometric Altimeter

 

Indicates the aircraft's altitude above sea-level, in hundreds of feet, by measuring changes in atmospheric pressure. It does not show height above the ground.

 

Variable atmospheric pressure does not seem to be modeled in MS Flight's weather system yet, but the knob on the altimeter allows you to adjust the altimeter to match the current pressure. Otherwise, the information it provides would be incorrect. An easy way to set your altimeter even if you don't have current weather information (shame on you!) is to dial in the current field or ramp elevation (often conveniently painted on the front of nearby hangars or other airfield buildings) as your altitude.

 

F - Autopilot

 

Not functional in MS Flight.

 

G - Turn Coordinator

 

Displays direction of turn and rate of turn. When the wingtip is aligned with the lower marking, you are in a two-minute standard-rate turn. You will complete a full 360° circle in about two minutes.

 

The bubble or ball below the aircraft symbol indicates whether the turn is correctly coordinated (inertia and gravity are balanced), so that the forces felt pull you directly down into your seat, as if you were not turning at all. Use the rudder to coordinate your turns.

 

H - Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)

 

An advanced instrument that incorporates the Heading Indicator (also known as a Directional Gyro, or DG) and the VOR-1 Navigation Indicator into a single device. Some HSIs may also include the DME display.

 

A gyroscopic Heading Indicator (HI) is preferred due to the limitations of a magnetic compass. Prior to flight, and periodically while flying straight and level, you should verify that the HI is correctly aligned with the compass and adjust it as needed. Gyroscopes precess in flight, so the HI may not remain correct throughout a longer flight. These adjustments are not required in MS Flight.

 

VOR-1 is operated by turning the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI). Please refer to J van E's VOR Tutorials for more information.

 

The ILS Localizer is displayed on the CDI bar, while Glideslope information is obtained from the triangular pointers that slide up and down the left and right sides of the HSI.

 

I - Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)

 

Shows rate of climb or descent, in hundreds of feet per minute (so, pointing up at "5" indicates a climb of 500'/minute. Pointing down at 20, descending at 2000'/minute).

 

J - VOR-2 Navigation Indicator

 

Please refer to J van E's VOR Tutorials for more information.

 

K - Communications Radios

 

COM-1 (top) and COM-2 (below). Can be tuned to communicate by voice with other players semi-privately using CTRL-Tab to activate your mic.

 

L - Navigation Radios

 

NAV-1 (top) and NAV-2 (below). Tune VOR stations for radio navigation. Please refer to J van E's VOR Tutorials for more information.

 

M - Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)

 

Shows distance and closure-speed to the selected VOR station.

 

N - Transponder

 

Allows Air Traffic Control to identify and track your aircraft. Not used in MS Flight.

 

O - Manifold Pressure

 

Indicates engine power output, or throttle setting.

 

P - Fuel Flow

 

Shows rate of fuel consumption, as varied by engine power and mixture settings.

 

Q - Tachometer

 

Measures RPM, set by the prop control. On aircraft with fixed-pitch props, the RPM is directly affected by throttle settings.

 

R - Fuel Quantity, Left and Right

 

Shows remaining fuel in the Main tanks. The buttons above the fuel gauges allow you to see the fuel quantity in the Aux tanks and transfer that fuel into the Main tanks. Fuel in the Aux tanks cannot be used by the engine.

 

S - Ancillary engine instruments

 

Not really important for MS Flight, along with the various other gauges scattered around the plane. Hopefully, this will change at some point.

 

 

Whenever you do so, I'll delete the one I just "Promoted to Tutorial" and edited from the Tutorial section.

 

I'm considering rearranging the Tutorial section just a little bit to have these sort of tutorials more "generic" rather than sim-specific. The "Flight - Early Tutorials" section is starting to become a bit crowded and cluttered... :Nerd:

 

I can see virtue in single, cross-sim tutorials that everyone can use. But, I can also see virtue in specific versions for each sim, using examples from that sim. I think people, especially new simmers, will be more inclined to look at things specific to their sim, as opposed to generic stuff.

I'm considering rearranging the Tutorial section just a little bit to have these sort of tutorials more "generic" rather than sim-specific. The "Flight - Early Tutorials" section is starting to become a bit crowded and cluttered... :Nerd:

 

Hm, I understand that but I have to say I do like having tutorials focusing on Flight too... Not every sim has the same capabilities and it's nice for newbies being able to quickly find a tutorial that is using their sim of choice! A lot of tutorials that seem general do explain a lot of sim specific things too, I think.

 

Well, maybe this will help...

 

Wow, another great post! You've got the tutorial virus!

 

Odd that all this doesn't come with the game or in some Flight manual! This will really help a lot of newcomers! Are you working on the RV-6A explanation yet...?

If I'm bored enough at work tomorrow, I'll do a full Maule panel explanation, going over each instrument.

 

Well, maybe this will help... <snip>

 

 

 

Great post Robo. When you said you had time today, you really meant it,

Wow, another great post! You've got the tutorial virus!

 

Odd that all this doesn't come with the game or in some Flight manual! This will really help a lot of newcomers! Are you working on the RV-6A explanation yet...?

 

Sure! Soon. :Waiting:

 

Great post Robo. When you said you had time today, you really meant it,

 

Heh, I'm sitting at work waiting for somebody to finish their tiny task that has to be done before I start my huge task.

 

<sigh>

 

I write and update technical manuals for aircraft, so I can do something like that on the job and people think I'm actually working!