STICK AND RUDDER
BETTER PILOT
Mayhem and Madness
Coping with traffic patterns
BY ROBERT N. ROSSIER
THE COMING OF SPRING usually brings with it an increase in flying
activity. As temperatures rise and ice melts, pilots come out of
hibernation. In many areas, the month of May can soon turn to mayhem. When the local airport begins to look like Chicago’s O’Hare
International, it’s time to put on our game face and turn up the
tempo. The mayhem and madness encountered in a busy traffic pattern require a high level of situational awareness, attention to
standard procedures and protocols, and a nimble, no-nonsense
approach to safety.
WHERE TALK IS EXPENSIVE
One of the keys to situational awareness and traffic avoidance is to
listen to the radio and make the appropriate position reports in the
traffic pattern area. The basic format includes who we are, where
we are, and what we’re doing. But as the
traffic count goes up, we should keep the
word count to a minimum.
