Mon Oct 25, 2010 3:53 pm
#907086
I arrived in the overhead of the private farm strip where my aircraft is based and checked the wind sock. It was changing from a clear westerly crosswind to limp, but this was probably because it is not best sited when the wind is from the north as it is sheltered by trees. The wind all day had been from the north and with the nearby airport reporting 010/08 I elected to land on the northerly runway.
Due to instruction by the Zone controller to not exceed 1000ft QFE my approach had meant that I was already at circuit height as I was in the airfield overhead and I turned downwind keeping an eye on the airfield and surround. I subsequently turned base and applied flaps and just shortly before my turn to final I noticed an aircraft departing the runway but to the south. I considered options and decided not to orbit left as this may take me straight into the departing aircraft path if he was turning right. Similarly extending the base leg beyond the runway could result in the same if he decided to go straight ahead or turned left. I decided to turn sharply to the south and maintain my current height in the hope that if he continued a direct departure I would be sufficiently to the right of his path. It was a very disconcerting period while I had my back to the airfield but I did eventually see that he had made a fairly sharp left turn after takeoff. I don't know whether or not that was because he had seen me.
Although the other pilot might have been more aware of me had he been listening in to the frequency (which would also have informed him of wind direction and strenght at the local airport), as this is a private site and the limp windsock may have led him to choose a southerly departure (which may be slightly downhill) I have no real issue with his actions, especially as he turned left and avoided me. I'm just wondering if there is a. a defined procedure for handling this situation or b. if there was a better way that would have removed the uncertainty of the situation?
Due to instruction by the Zone controller to not exceed 1000ft QFE my approach had meant that I was already at circuit height as I was in the airfield overhead and I turned downwind keeping an eye on the airfield and surround. I subsequently turned base and applied flaps and just shortly before my turn to final I noticed an aircraft departing the runway but to the south. I considered options and decided not to orbit left as this may take me straight into the departing aircraft path if he was turning right. Similarly extending the base leg beyond the runway could result in the same if he decided to go straight ahead or turned left. I decided to turn sharply to the south and maintain my current height in the hope that if he continued a direct departure I would be sufficiently to the right of his path. It was a very disconcerting period while I had my back to the airfield but I did eventually see that he had made a fairly sharp left turn after takeoff. I don't know whether or not that was because he had seen me.
Although the other pilot might have been more aware of me had he been listening in to the frequency (which would also have informed him of wind direction and strenght at the local airport), as this is a private site and the limp windsock may have led him to choose a southerly departure (which may be slightly downhill) I have no real issue with his actions, especially as he turned left and avoided me. I'm just wondering if there is a. a defined procedure for handling this situation or b. if there was a better way that would have removed the uncertainty of the situation?