Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Glider; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 5000; Flight Crew Type 99
Communication Breakdown
Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors
This airport tends to be very busy with flight training; corporate traffic and people coming for lunch at the on-field cafe. It was very busy when I got there. I chose to go around from final because of the crowd and so did the Aircraft Y on final in front of me. We got into the pattern again; and I lost sight of him. I turned base where the published airport procedure indicates and there was the Aircraft Y; very close in front of me. He had gone way out downwind and turned a long; long final. I didn't hear him announce final; so I don't know if he did or not. This was a close call. The pilot never saw me. I went around again to avoid any conflict and landed safely. I have noticed that (for reasons that baffle me); pilots are making extremely wide downwind legs and very long finals. This is for all types of planes at small airports. The procedure used to be you turned base at 45 degrees to the numbers. That way you were always in the vicinity of the airport; the pattern was efficient; and you knew where to look for other aircraft. I believe this non-standard procedure (rapidly becoming standard) contributes to congested patterns and the increased likelihood of not seeing other planes. I think this is what happened to me and the other pilot. Both of us didn't look hard enough on base and final to see if the way was clear. I called my base leg before the Aircraft Y appeared in my windshield; so it would have helped if he announced where he was when he heard me call. Maybe he thought I was behind him? My takeaway is to look; look and look again for aircraft that have turned for excessively long finals and also for planes doing wide (and I mean really wide) downwind legs. What you do about unwise training these days; I don't know. I'll also avoid this airport at lunch hour; since it tends to have increased traffic at that time. When I left; things had settled down a bit.
GA Single Pilot reported an NMAC event in landing pattern of F70 airport with aircraft that had a longer than normal downwind leg.