Go Around Offset

[Marc_B]

Recent midair made me think of areas with skydiving operations that wouldn't allow you to offset to side opposite of traffic pattern.  

I don't recall specific training, but I've always "side stepped" to the side opposite of the traffic pattern if I was going around due to traffic on the runway, someone lagged before takeoff, someone aborted takeoff, etc.  Always seemed prudent.  When I announce this on frequency I say something like "...Mooney going around, sidestepping right, to the east of runway 35..."

Seems like offset opposite of the traffic pattern makes sense for low wing aircraft that could keep any upwind/departure as well as crosswind traffic in sight.

But we do have a local uncontrolled airport, KLMO Vance Brand Longmont where this wouldn't be the best option...coming in Rwy 11, left traffic with pattern to the north...if parachute operations in effect any sidestep south would be NO-GO and put you right over parachute landing area immediately to the south of the taxiway.  So if low wing offsets to the NORTH of Rwy 11 (to the left) and high wing on departure...there would seem to be a large blind spot for both aircraft, especially when turning left crosswind.  We all know ADS-b may help but has a lag and in close proximity much better to have eyes on outside.

So what's your deconfliction??  i.e. side step north, expedited turn into crosswind/downwind, quicker climb to TPA, slower climb to TPA for visibility, do you try to "beat" the other aircraft to the crosswind turn or try to stay behind them to keep them in sight?  Communication is paramount, but what about the case with NORDO or just not responding...

In this scenario, I'd be inclined to side step to the left/North and would be tempted to make an earlier crosswind turn, however if other traffic in the pattern this wouldn't allow increasing traffic separation but would likely result in decreasing traffic separation.

BUT, what I've realized thinking through this scenario is that with inability to sidestep to the side of the runway OPPOSITE the traffic pattern...my best bet is to really set up my separation well and try to avoid this entirely.

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

Just about every airport has its issues. The local pilots can ponder these things and come up with safe procedures. The problem is transient pilots who are just thinking about how they are going to land.

[Ragsf15e]

I don’t think the answer is always clear cut either. It kind of depends on the specific situation. There are airports with obstacles to one side of the runway as well Which might not be close, but might make you uncomfortable over there. I think after an initial offset to get away from the immediate threat, clearing aggressively and using the radio to de-conflict any remaining problems is the best bet. If I’m sure no one is on downwind, and I am on the downwind side of the runway, I would like to turn towards downwind, because that will guarantee getting me away from the aircraft taking off. But you’re right, you have to be very careful that there’s no downwind traffic you don’t see.

however, if I am not on the downwind side, I would be very hesitant to turn quickly towards the downwind, because I don’t want to cut right in front of someone who just took off next to me.

[Marc_B]

30 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

I don’t think the answer is always clear cut either.

That's my point.  If you're flying into an airport (even one you're familiar with), there may be situations that you haven't thought about before and there are times that traffic either isn't doing something you'd expect or not communicating like they should.  But we're still expected to see and avoid traffic, terrain, and other obstacles (i.e. parachutes). 

Proper sequencing/spacing, speeds, pattern entry and altitudes help to mitigate a lot of this.  But still don't account for routine things such as IFR/practice approaches, straight in approaches, etc.  And it doesn't always work perfectly with dissimilar aircraft and speeds.

So probably something that we should actively consider as we're approaching an airport in general.  Offset opposite side of pattern doesn't always work, but seems like the best option when it does.

[Hank]

2 hours ago, Marc_B said:

Recent midair made me think of areas with skydiving operations that wouldn't allow you to offset to side opposite of traffic pattern.  

. . .

But we do have a local uncontrolled airport, KLMO Vance Brand Longmont where this wouldn't be the best option...coming in Rwy 11, left traffic with pattern to the north...if parachute operations in effect any sidestep south would be NO-GO and put you right over parachute landing area immediately to the south of the taxiway.  So if low wing offsets to the NORTH of Rwy 11 (to the left) and high wing on departure...there would seem to be a large blind spot for both aircraft, especially when turning left crosswind.  We all know ADS-b may help but has a lag and in close proximity much better to have eyes on outside.

So what's your deconfliction??

I've based at two airports with skydivers, for almost a decade total. Not currently though, it's been several years since I moved. Five? Yes, fiveish. Six? I dunno. 

When jumpers are in the air, I visually locate them. If I can't, I find somewhere else to fly for a couple of minutes; if they're close to landing, I find somewhere else to fly for a couple of minutes. The time it takes for a 182-ful of divers to land from 6500 is much less time than a standard pattern for me, and what's a couple or three minutes versus killing someone else and/or myself? Even when I was having prostate problems, I wasn't in THAT much of a hurry to land; in fact, a 2-3 minute delay then was often quite helpful.

How do I know when jumpers are in the air? Jump pilots are required to talk to ATC, and give a two-minute warning and "jumpers away" to both ATC and UNICOM. So just listen on the radio and look.

How do you know where jumpers are based? There should be a little parachute symbol beside the airport on the sectional. Check your EFB and make sure these are shown, along with the glider symbol and the star for fuel.

All that said, go around for me are rarely to miss a plane on the runway, but if so, I sidestep to the right so that I can keep an eye on them. Just like when I pass an airplane in the air, the regs stipulate passing on the right so that you can see well and avoid them from the left seat.

[Ragsf15e]

At the USAFA airfield there’s two very busy runways with jumpers coming down inside the western (glider) pattern.  Yes, between downwind and final.  Obviously there are lots of procedures and stuff, but it was occasionally exciting.  Especially when Colorado breezes coupled with circular chutes and novice jumpers.  Heck, I even saw the jump team in their fancy chutes get blown out of the jump zone once and land on the glider runway!  You guys with jumpers at your field definitely need to have high awareness!

[toto]

+1 to all the cautions about skydivers 

I fly frequently to an airport with jump operations. The skydiving group is on the west side of the field - that’s where they do training, that’s where their LZ is, and that’s the expectation that all pilots have when flying in the area (pay careful attention to the jumpers on the west side). 

On a recent flight, we were in communication with the jump plane and had visual contact with the jumpers…….. but then suddenly there was a jumper coming down through the traffic pattern on the east side of the field. Fortunately he was nowhere near our position, but when we landed he was walking across the middle of a very active runway while carrying his chute and gear. We radioed the jump pilot to let him know that one of the jumpers was walking from east to west across the runway, and the jump pilot basically said “er.”

Anyway, when you’re at an airport with skydiving operations - especially where they’re training students - be very careful. Heads on a swivel. And don’t assume that they’re going to be in a particular place just because that’s what the AFD or NOTAM says

 

[Marc_B]

 

My favorite Bertorelli quote on the video..."What I really worry about is becoming a hood ornament on a Cirrus, or WORSE, a Mooney!"  ha ha ha

We have a couple DZs around me and one of them is literally RIGHT off the wing of an ILS approach into an airport to the north.  Usually the jump plane does a great job of timing skydiving operations to avoid anyone on a practice approach.  But once it happened that I was seeing parachutes off my right wing.  I broke off the approach and just gave a wide berth away.

In the summer on weekends, the DZ at KLMO runs a King Air for the tandems, and a Caravan for the fun jumpers...so there's a pretty steady stream of parachutes during the day.

[Pinecone]

My home field has jump operations also.  Luckily, it is tandem only, so no novice jumpers.  They land to the west of main runway (1/19) between the runway and taxiway.   Pilot is very good about making his radio calls and also calling out the number of jumpers.  And the jumpers are good about not lingering below about 2000 feet.

The one I remember was many years ago at McKinney, TX. I was flying an aerobatic ride in a CAP-10.  I pulled to a vertical line for a vertical roll and was pointed right at a jump plane with jumpers exiting.  Even though I knew there was about 10000 feet between us, and they would be blown by wind, it was a moment of WTF?!

My preference, if possible is still to do the offset to the right to be able to see the runway and plane that made me go around.   I would need a VERY big offset to go to the left and still be able to see.   If there is a right crosswind, and I offset to the left, I don't know if it is a student that might drift to the left and be climbing up under me.

[EricJ]

The entire corridor from Phoenix to Tucson is filled with very active jump operations at nearly every airport in between, including Marana.   They jump seven days a week day and night from all altitudes.   Once in a while there'll be an FAA Safety or similar meeting with reps from one or more of the big jump operations trying to give advice on how to avoid the jumpers.   One of the best insights I recall from one of these is that the drop airspaces are basically cones expanding as they rise going up from the LZ to whatever maximum altitude they wind up using.   Some of the military jumps (and it's training from militaries from all over the world) will jump from high altitude and maximum distance to practice tracking to an LZ.   They also do this at night.   The narrow tip of the cone will always be on the LZ, though, so the usual recommendation for traversing the route between PHX and destinations to the south is to stay low, and following I-10 will generally keep you away from the LZs.    Approaching at pattern altitude from the published downwind side works for this reason, too, so it's a good practice.  The parachute icon on the sectionals are usually, but not always, placed so show which side of the airport the LZ is on.   

ATC will definitely vector you around to avoid the jumps, and they at least have the advantage of knowing where the drop airplanes are and exactly when they're jumping.   If nothing else, monitoring the local radar ATC frequencies will give you the info since the jump airplanes are talking on there.

[PT20J]

When researching an unfamiliar airport, it's a good idea to bone up on any special procedures in use:

The Chart Supplement A/FD entry for the airport will often have procedural information entered in the Comments section.

The Chart Supplement Notices section may have special procedures that are in effect. (Example: PAMR, Merrill Field, Anchorage AK).

Any procedures described by Letters to Airmen will be found by searching the FAA NOTAM site for the airport. (Example: KBFI, Boeing Field, Seattle WA).

One nice feature of ForeFlight is that it gathers all the available information and makes it available on the Airport tab.