Hey guys,
It’s Monday which means its time for our weekly flight training tutorial. In this week’s video, I wanted to cover a procedure that is simple yet seems to be misunderstood a lot and not performed properly. Its important to understand the process to maintain a smooth flight in and out of an airspace.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Happy and Safe Landings!
Great one, Mark!
Nice video Mark
Thanks guys!
Thanks for this tutorial. If you plan to execute a touch-and-go multiple times, what is the procedure to announce that you are entering the pattern again and not landing, after being cleared for the option? After executing a touch-and-go I announced that I was going around and I was told to check the ATC help pages. Is it not necessary to announce anything after executing a touch-and-go and entering the pattern again? Will the tower simply tell me to enter left/right downwind after they observe that I’m climbing back up?
If you are calling inbound for touch and go’s and the tower gives you a left/right pattern entry then clears you for the option, then you do your touch and go and continue to make the same left/right traffic pattern that you were initially instructed to enter. For example: “N73MD, enter right downwind Runway 27”. You would enter the right traffic pattern on right downwind. Then tower tells you, “N73MD, cleared for the option, after the option make right traffic”. That means after you do your touch and go, then you make right traffic (right turns) for right crosswind, right downwind, right base, and then final. If you watch the “Remaining In The Pattern Video”, everything is explained there as well.
A GO AROUND DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE GOING AROUND FOR ANOTHER TOUCH AND GO. A go around means that you have to cancel your landing/touch and go for any number of reasons and you are “GOING AROUND” and tower would give you instructions to “Go around, make left/right traffic” or “Enter left/right downwind”. If you do a touch and go then announce GO AROUND, tower will respond with “Check Help Pages”.
It is NOT necessary to announce anything after a touch and go. When you initially called inbound for touch and go’s, that is telling tower that you are going to remain in the pattern after first touch and go.
@Mark_Denton Thanks so much, super helpful. In this case, I was cleared for the option without further instructions on make left/right traffic. After takeoff I was told to make right traffic, so would it have been correct for me to continue to executing a right Pattern until told otherwise? Something like:
Delta 172: Tower, Delta 172, ready for takeoff, Runway 27R, remaining in the pattern.
Tower: Delta 172, cleared for takeoff, Runway 27R, make right traffic.
-At this point, takeoff, climb to TPA, turn right 90°, turn right 90° again
Delta 172: Tower, Delta 172, on right downwind, requesting touch-and-go, runway 27R.
Tower: Delta 172, number 1, cleared for the option, runway 27R.
Delta 172: Cleared for the option, runway 27R, Delta 172.
-At this point, execute touch-and-go, climb to TPA, turn right 90°, turn right 90° again
Delta 172: Tower, Delta 172, on right downwind, requesting touch-and-go, runway 27R.
Tower: Delta 172, number 1, cleared for the option, runway 27R
Delta 172: Cleared for the option, runway 27R, Delta 172.
Rinse, repeat?
Yes and no. You would be correct in continuing to make right traffic unless told otherwise. However, it is not necessary to continue to report your position on downwind. Tower should be sequencing you and you would follow the aircraft that you are sequenced behind. If you turn final and have not been cleared for the option, then you would report your position as “Delta 172 is on final Runway 27, touch and go”. This would be the only time it is necessary to report your position UNLESS you plan on making a full stop. If you want to make a full stop, then just report your position with full stop, “Delta 172 is on right downwind Runway 27, full stop”.
In IF its not in RL it is 😏
Jk Mark you know I have to dish it out when I can.
Great, I think I got it. So, if I haven’t received other instructions, I can continue to freely execute my pattern work up until the point that I’m on final. If I haven’t received clearance to execute a touch-and-go at that point, report position and ask for clearance. Or, I can report position at any point prior to that if I’m done doing my pattern work and would like to request landing (or, submit a flight plan and request a departure as well, I assume).
That is correct.
Great, thanks so much for the clarification.