Hey guys,
I'm a little confused about the traffic pattern entry at an uncontrolled airport. I know that the standard/appropriate pattern entry is a 45degree entry into the downwind leg, but my question is...how do I get to this downwind leg if I'm incoming from the opposite side of the runway? When I come to a new airport I haven't been to (of course, I will do preflight planning ahead of time and know the traffic patterns), do I overfly the airport (400ft above pattern) and then drop into the downwind leg? Or, do I just fly out away from the airport, level out to pattern altitude and then enter the downwind leg?
I'm a little confused about the traffic pattern entry at an uncontrolled airport. I know that the standard/appropriate pattern entry is a 45degree entry into the downwind leg, but my question is...how do I get to this downwind leg if I'm incoming from the opposite side of the runway? When I come to a new airport I haven't been to (of course, I will do preflight planning ahead of time and know the traffic patterns), do I overfly the airport (400ft above pattern) and then drop into the downwind leg? Or, do I just fly out away from the airport, level out to pattern altitude and then enter the downwind leg?
