Mid-downwind pattern entry for unicom

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21

Is it acceptable to fly a pattern higher than 1500 agl (other than terrain)?

22

Nope it is not

23

So how do you unicm when following a star? Because most STARs ate at like 3000 agl on downwind

24

Stars are arrivals not an approach. If you are 3,000 AGL you aren’t on downwind. If your on a Star your not on downwind either you’re on an instrument arrival procedure.

25

But I saw in videos of real pilots that they sometimes skip the base phase and just do final after downwind

26

Nothing wrong with a straight in approach as long as you aren’t cutting in line or getting in anyone’s way. I’ve flown a few of them at my local uncontrolled field in my time, they’re perfectly acceptable.
As for the original question, the “correct”, and only “correct” way to enter the pattern is with a standard overhead join (we all know, the 2000ft over the active threshold to descend on the dead side, 1000ft on the crosswind thing). Therefore, there shouldn’t - technically speaking - be a reason to join onto a downwind at any particular angle.

Your best option is going to be to fly out a little further and fly straight into the downwind leg, avoiding any other traffic.

27

So do I just announce final on unicom?

28

What do you mean with looping back? Does this mean that you have to fly around the field in order to enter the pattern right when you just could enter straight on the runway?

29

That’s physically impossible.

I think you are failing to make the distinction between “in the pattern” and “approaching the field.”

There are RNP approaches which are more of a trombone slide shape than your typical box, yes, but that isn’t the same as not flying a base in pattern.