Proper landing procedure

[Flamin_Squirrel]

That's horrible! They discourage pilots from making emergency landings by threatening them with enormous fines? And no one is bothered that they're endangering the pilots by doing this?

 

It's a crapper eh?

 

Bit more info here. http://www.aopa.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=278

 

Gatwick doesn't appear on the list. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I transit over head!

[PFunk1606688187]

ergency situations are an interesting one. I know there's an initiative that some airports have signed up to that means they'll waive any fees to GA traffic in a genuine emergency situation. I'm not sure if Gatwick is one of them.

 

I should think that this would be mandatory. Dinging someone with a bill because he had the audacity to have engine issues in their airspace seems in poor taste.

[Flamin_Squirrel]

I should think that this would be mandatory. Dinging someone with a bill because he had the audacity to have engine issues in their airspace seems in poor taste.

 

I've heard of a motorcyclist receiving a parking ticket for leaving their bike in the middle of the road, while laying down next to it, with a broken leg, after being knocked off of it. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest, as this is the contempt the authorities often hold for the people they serve in the UK.

[jay43]

At the end of the day with all that said emergency or not most of the time its not the pilots plane anyway so he/she have no worries.

I know some airlines who have no account with the airport have to carry a credit card to pay their fees upon landing or else they won't be allowed to leave.

Its happened at Heathrow before emergency landing and they have had to pay, whether or not they had a problem means nothing emergency services have to be paid for along with tug to the stand or hard stand and engineers.

Also air fees have to be paid before flying through someone else's airspace its their sovereign right to charge all through traffic.

Think I am talking to much not supposed to talk about my job.

I do know the SallyB also got stuck at Heathrow for quite sometime she too was allowed to land in an emergency and she was given pride of place in a nice cosy hangar and on this occasion because she was a very very old girl all fees were waved.

[Razor18]

I'm still looking for the answer to: how do I know, what is the required pattern altitude for an airfield? Same value for all airfields (X feet/meter above local ground), or different for every airfield, if the latter, how do I get to know it?

[Damage]

I'm still looking for the answer to: how do I know, what is the required pattern altitude for an airfield? Same value for all airfields (X feet/meter above local ground), or different for every airfield, if the latter, how do I get to know it?

 

In RL it can vary from one airport to another. For example, with GA aircraft the most common traffic pattern is 1000’ AGL but the bottom line is that it’s up to the pilot in command to consult the local air field directory or any other published charts concerning the airport to ensure he is compliant with the local rules. So if I entered the pattern at a non-towered airport at 1000’ AGL and the TPA is actually published as 800’ AGL, and then I proceed to descend upon, collide or have a near miss with another aircraft that’s already in the pattern at 800’, I could expect to be on the unpleasant end of a conversation with the FAA or other local authority and in jeopardy of losing my license.

 

Whether you're IFR or VFR you're always required to check in with towered airports and coordinate your approach. They will provide guidance for your approach to land and instruct you how to enter the pattern, unless they just want to to make a straight in approach. You can request touch-and-go's which implies that you want to stay in the pattern and they will allow you to do so if their workload permits and safe aircraft separation can be maintained from other aircraft that may be taking off , landing or already in the pattern.

Military bases often have different patterns to separate different category, class and type aircraft. In other words, if an A-10C and a KC-135 were practicing touch-and-go's they are likely to fly different sized patterns with the KC135 flying a wider pattern at a higher altitude. On initial approach to an airbase it’s common for some aircraft to perform an overhead approach with a 180° break to join the downwind and then another 180° turn to final. Again, in RL, you'd have to contact the tower and comply with their instructions (as long as their instructions are within the safe operating limits of the aircraft and the pilot).

 

Since using the ATC in DCS can be an exercise in futility we are often left on our own to determine what the best way to get the aircraft back on the ground. For the A-10C you could navigate to a point 3 – 5 miles out on the runway heading, over-fly the threshold at 1500’ AGL, break 180° at a determined point, roll out at 1000’ AGL on the downwind leg. When the runway threshold is 45° off from your reciprocal heading execute a 180° turn to the (base leg), roll out @ 300-400 on short final... easy money!

 

If you’re interested in more info on specific airport traffic patterns there are several good resources available. For starters, try these links:

http://airportguide.com/airport/Georgia/Adjaria/Batumi-UGSB-BUS/

 

http://skyvector.com/?ll=41.613333333,41.586666667&chart=301&zoom=3

(right click over Batumi for airport then left click on the Batumi link for airport info)

 

Of course all this shite goes out the window in the event of an inflight emergency. If your oil pressure is at 0 and your engine temp is past the red line or your engine has already stopped or you have a fire that cannot be extinguished, you would just inform the tower of your emergency (assuming you still have electric power) and that you are going to land immediately. In most cases you should have at least a few minutes between your emergency call and the time you land for them to wave off any other traffic. BTW... in regards to the discussion on costly Airport landing fees... they are almost always cheaper than an off field landing and given the choice I'd say a its a small price to pay in exchange for a better chance at survival ;-)

Edited December 27, 2013 by =Damage=