PilotEdge Forums

Hi, I haven't done CAT1 or 2 yet.
The new ratings look good thank you.

However, I've been trying to practice my heli flying lately. I gather that traffic patterns for helicopters are often different to those for fixed wing aircraft, partly to aid separation.

Are there any details on traffic patterns at KSBP for helicopters, either here or elsewhere that you know of?

Also, for the CAT-01, would a helicopter be expected to fly a pattern on the way into L88?
(the CAT-01 page mentioned reporting on CTAF on downwind, base etc.)

Thanks.

Just watched the CAT1 workshop. Thanks for that, hadn't seen it before. Good workshop.

The answer to my questions seemed to be that yes, its necessary to approach L88 properly, and yes, you're allowed to fly to New Kuyama in a helicopter

I had trouble following some of the traffic on the way in (resolution) but if I understood what was going on correctly, the helis were flying the same pattern as the Baron did?

Thanks again.

At a towered airport you might be in the pattern with a helo. I've had multiple acft types on the same side before (gets interesting). Usually faster planes will fly outside of slower craft.

Thanks Ryan.

It was more at a non-towered airport I was worried about.
At a towered airport I'd assumed that the controller would tell me the traffic pattern direction, particularly if it was different from that flown by fixed wing.

Perhaps there's a certain amount of play-it-by-ear and see what seems sensible and what everyone else is currently doing at non-towered airports.

Oh, at non towered all traffic patterns are left (standard) unless denoted on a sectional by the letters "RP" (right pattern)

It's been a LONG time since I've logged hours in a real plane but last I recall there wasn't a set altitude to fly over the field at if you need to do that. You should enter the downwind at a 45, and you might come overheard 500 ft above pattern altitude (in case your radios don't work and someone is in the pattern already).

Thanks for that Ryan. I'd never heard that about 'RP' being denoted on the sectional.

tbaac wrote:Thanks for that Ryan. I'd never heard that about 'RP' being denoted on the sectional.

A wealth of knowledge can be found in the top left hand corner of area sectional charts

I can't see that on UK sectionals (the only ones I've held hard copies of), that's my excuse

Just looked at the Los Angeles sectional on SkyVector and I see your point.
I see that L88 has 'RP 10' next to it. So, that's presumably a right pattern, 1000ft AGL.
(Oh, checking the info in the top left again, that's saying that runway 10 has a right traffic pattern, and so runway 28 uses the default left traffic pattern).

So. left traffic pattern for runway 28 for fixed wing and rotary aircraft.

Thanks for that.