Traffic Pattern (Circuit)

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  Traffic pattern or circuit
  
  Traffic pattern (Circuit)
  Traffic pattern and circuit are the same thing. The first name is more popular, the second is used in Britain and Commonwealth countries.
  
  When flying the pattern you need to fly 5 legs that create a rectangular shape.
  
  

• departure;

• crosswind leg;

• downwind leg;

• base leg;

• final

How to fly traffic pattern?

Take off.

-Climb best rate of climb speed.
-Retract gear and flaps (if necessary).

Turn crosswind (at 500ft Above Ground Level, no sooner than over the far end of the runway).
Climb  to 1000 ft AGL.

Turn downwind (about half mile from runway).
Prepare for landing. Extend gear (if necessary).

Turn base.
Start descent. Extend flaps (if necessary). Fly at 1,4* Vso (Vso – stall speed in landing configuration).
Turn final at 500 ft. Extend more flaps (if necessary).

Land.
And look around you. You are flying visually.

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