Whats a military pattern?

[Gravedigger]

I hear a lot of talk about military traffic patterns with fixes and all kinds of stuff. What does a military traffic pattern actually consist of? Is a VFR pattern more like an approach or is it just a general procedure?

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

Typically, a military traffic pattern will consists of the following items:

1) Radar Release Points

2) Tactical Release Points

3) Inside Pattern (VFR only)

4) Outside (VFR)/Radar Pattern

5) Perch

6) Base

7) Downwind

Radar Release Points - typically used at high density traffic areas (UPT bases, class C/B airports) which allow folks to go in IFR, "cancel" IFR following, and proceed to a visual pattern.

Tactical Release Points - very similiar to Radar Release Points, but these points are usually interfaced with special arrival and departure procedures associated with a tactical environment or training.

Inside Pattern - very similiar to a standard civilian pattern. You can enter from initial takeoff or touch-n-go ("request closed"), or can enter from a 3-5 mile Initial which is typicall around 2000-3000' AGL above field elevation.

Outside (VFR)/Radar Pattern - typically called the "penalty box", is flown when practicing multiple instrument approaches, or when multiple overhead patterns are warranted from Initial. Also, is used at UPT for traffic separation.

Perch - unlike civilian patterns, we "perch" rather than turn a squared off base while in a VFR traffic pattern. This is where descent in initiated and is usually 1500' AGL.

Base - typically 700-900' AGL at the furthest point away from the landing runway. Here you are manuevering the aircraft to be 1 mile away at 300' AGL (3 degree glideslope). Although the "gear down" called isn't required until crossing the threshold, this is where it usually happens, as well as other required safety checks.

Downwind - same as a civilian downwind, although with two VFR patterns, there's a Inside and Outside downwind.

[ 06. April 2004, 23:58: Message edited by: C-21 Pilot ]

[Scooter14]

It's more of a way to keep the traffic flowing, if you're talking about a UPT base kind of pattern. It's kind of hard to explain in words, since it was the most ****ed up pattern I had ever experienced, but on the other hand it made sense, since there is such a high volume of traffic, things need to be precise, or people could end up hurt.

It's a VFR pattern. You'll have a release point where you'll essentially cancel IFR and enter the pattern. That will basically put you on a 45 to the runway centerline. Inside of that will be a VFR entry point, which basically lines you up the same way, but a little closer to the runway. The centerline will be called "Initial" if you stay at patten altitude, fly "overhead" the runway and break. Typically 500' below you, dudes will be doing visual straight in approaches.

There will be an inside downwind for those breaking/pulling closed patterns and an outside downwind to fly to to "go around the box/container."

At any given time, you might need to "break out" to deconflict yourself. You'll go out to VFR entry and try it again. Hopefully there won't be someone coming in from the MOA's through the release points, because they will have priority and you'll have to break out again.

I haven't even scratched the surface...

There is a whole myriad of rules, procedures, weather mins, radio calls, etc at the base and at the aux field, where you'll do half your pattern work. Half of the difficulty people have with solo flights, IMHO, is getting the pattern procedure down. It's a daunting task at first, but with enough practice in (and out) of the jet/turboprop, it will become second nature.

Every flight room has a pattern duct-taped to the floor in multicolored tape. An IP will sit there as the controller and you'll fly (walk) around the pattern. Heaven help you if you don't know the procedures or radio calls verbatim. You WILL look like a dumbass in front of your peers.

We went so far as to take my son's sidewalk chalk, draw the pattern on my driveway and walk around it with someone rotating as the controller. Missed calls or screwups cost pushups and .

My neighbors kind of look at me funny since we had 9 dudes walking around my driveway with outstreched arms talking to ourselves :confused: ...

[Guest stu]

I'm interested in how the overhead pattern evolved. Being that it's unique to military flying, there's got to be some good reasons that it's done.

Having only civilian flying experience (so far), I can only guess at a few of the advantages of the overhead:

1) enhancing traffic separation by having different a/c types flying different patterns;

2) loading up the turns at idle power seems like a good way to quickly bleed energy;

3) better margin of safety/survivability with the jets traversing potentially hostile terrain while in the approach phase

Am I thinking along the right lines?

[Guest Metalhead]

I would say Speed and Volume. (By the way these are also 2 of the 4 essentials to a heavy metal song!) The fastest way to get a plane on the ground from up high and fast is to fly up initial fast and break, 1 turn to final, and land. The military pattern is also the only place you'll see 12 planes in the pattern doing touch-n-goes with 1 minute spacing.

(long hair and drums are the other 2 if you were wondering) :D

[Toro]

Originally posted by stu:

1) enhancing traffic separation by having different a/c types flying different patterns

You will very rarely have different aircraft in the VFR pattern at the same time. Generally a pattern and the groundtrack references are built for the predominant MDS at that base, and they've got priority. If a C-17 showed up at my base will there were F-15s beating up the pattern, there's no way the tower controllers would let him in. In addition to him flying different airspeeds, you need to have increased runway separation when he lands, as well as wake turbulence separation.

loading up the turns at idle power seems like a good way to quickly bleed energy

It is, but again that's not the reason we do it. When you go into your initial break (depending on how fast you're going), you can bleed from cruising speed (~300 knots) to gear limiting speed (~250 knots) at mid-range power in less than 90 degrees of turn.

better margin of safety/survivability with the jets traversing potentially hostile terrain while in the approach phase

This is true as well, but it's not the reason we do it on a day to day basis. In combat you would do what's called tactical initial - two aircraft with one mile lateral spacing at 10,000 feet that do a ~40 degree nose low sliceback in idle to the base point, where they throw down their gear, continue another 180 degrees and land. You're not likely to get that approved at your average CONUS base.

The reason for the VFR pattern is because it allows for a greater volume of aircraft like Metalhead said and more training with less gas. We could practice all our landings from the radar pattern, but staying in a more confined visual pattern saves us time and gas.

[ 20. April 2004, 01:45: Message edited by: Toro ]

[Redknight123]

Hello, Could anyone post a document/answer what is the aircraft priority for the Air Force UPT pattern to include both the closed and outside pattern? For example, if an aircraft calls initial for the break can an aircraft already established in the closed pattern request closed? What determines who breaks out, pattern entry to the outside downwind, etc? I understand some of this was touched on a LITTLE in previous posts but I really need the step-by-step from pattern entry at the outside pattern to break point and then into the inside closed or entry via the st-in how the pattern works. I thought this would be in a UPT base instruction 11-250, local flying procedures, but I don't have access to one. Anyway, this question seems well suited to anyone going through UPT now or an IP. I want to be able to do some walking the pattern practice as mentioned in the above posts and really need the pattern procedures/radio calls to make that work. Thanks

[Guest AFsock]

I would say wait until you're there. There's a reason you spend the first quarter of your training in the pattern - it really is that complex and it'll even take a few pattern parties before you can even start to grasp which lines to follow. (Definition: Pattern Party- Senior Class/IP pretends to be the RSO and both directs traffic to enter/exit the pattern via takeoffs and entry points while students fumble around a diagram of the pattern on the floor at a steady pace). This training will exceed any self study you can do ahead of time and honestly, you'll probably just teach yourself wrong in the first place (not a dig, again it's that difficult and without a reference for the radio traffic/position reports/and traffic conflicts you'll miss out on the challenging parts).

Now go outside while the sun is up and enjoy life because UPT is a huge commitment and will be a firehose regardless.

Edited February 23, 2011 by AFsock

[Redknight123]

I appreciate where you are coming from. I have already been there. I am looking to go back to be an IP and it has been 10+ years since I flew the pattern so again if anyone can take the time to delineate the rules of the road for the AF UPT pattern I'd appreciate it.

[Guest AFsock]

My apologies! Honestly I have some great diagrams I made for that exact purpose but they're in Air Force storage so they won't be any use. If any happen to show up with this next household goods shipment I'll get them online!

[Redknight123]

AFSOCK, Thanks I appreciate it. And again anyone else's help I'll take it.

[KingGuy]

I appreciate where you are coming from. I have already been there. I am looking to go back to be an IP and it has been 10+ years since I flew the pattern so again if anyone can take the time to delineate the rules of the road for the AF UPT pattern I'd appreciate it.

Pattern Priorities:

Emergencies

Min Fuel

Formation

Radar Entry

Established in pattern

VFR Pattern

In Del Rio, we used the incredibly PC memory aid:

Every

Mexican

Farmer

Raises

Excellent

Vegetables.

[flame4chevy]

All three pattern diagrams with Laughlin ground references

Pattern_Diagram1.doc

[Redknight123]

Guys, thanks for the help. This is exactly what I was looking for and then some. Fly safe!

[Archa3opt3ryx]

All three pattern diagrams with Laughlin ground references

Pattern_Diagram1.doc

Holy crap! I just opened that up and my eyes just about popped out of my head. I can imagine doing it at 90 knots in the Citabria, but 200? That's nuts. No wonder it takes so long to figure it out.

[Seriously]

Holy crap! I just opened that up and my eyes just about popped out of my head. I can imagine doing it at 90 knots in the Citabria, but 200? That's nuts. No wonder it takes so long to figure it out.

38s are 300 in the pattern. Speeds are relative. You get used to it.

[contraildash]

Anyone else think that this guy is kinda odd? Maybe it's just me being up all night for the 4th night in a row...

[Hacker]

Hello, Could anyone post a document/answer what is the aircraft priority for the Air Force UPT pattern to include both the closed and outside pattern? For example, if an aircraft calls initial for the break can an aircraft already established in the closed pattern request closed? What determines who breaks out, pattern entry to the outside downwind, etc? I understand some of this was touched on a LITTLE in previous posts but I really need the step-by-step from pattern entry at the outside pattern to break point and then into the inside closed or entry via the st-in how the pattern works. I thought this would be in a UPT base instruction 11-250, local flying procedures, but I don't have access to one. Anyway, this question seems well suited to anyone going through UPT now or an IP. I want to be able to do some walking the pattern practice as mentioned in the above posts and really need the pattern procedures/radio calls to make that work. Thanks

Really? You're going to PIT and you're going to "walk the pattern"? Oooookay.

You'll find out at PIT -- it's not that big of a deal.

[Techsan]

Anyone else think that this guy is kinda odd? Maybe it's just me being up all night for the 4th night in a row...

Terrorists. They now know where to pre-position the SA-7s around Del Rio.

[Guest]

Go to Vegas, party/gamble your ass off, dive up to Nellis, go up into the tower and sit next to the SOF for a couple hours, watch an ME launch during a RF recovery with jets returning with hung bombs and 6.9 LGPOS' calling emergency fuel while the T-Clones demand an immediate opposite direction T/O right in the middle of everything.

That should just about cover any pattern questions you might have and you have the added benefit of hammering down in Vegas.

Technique only.

[Champ Kind]

Go to Vegas, party/gamble your ass off, dive up to Nellis, go up into the tower and sit next to the SOF for a couple hours, watch an ME launch during a RF recovery with jets returning with hung bombs and 6.9 LGPOS' calling emergency fuel while the T-Clones demand an immediate opposite direction T/O right in the middle of everything.

That should just about cover any pattern questions you might have and you have the added benefit of hammering down in Vegas.

Pure gold!