Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30; Flight Crew Total 4500; Flight Crew Type 500
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Procedure; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
Somebody needs to have a little heart to heart talk with [users of LRY] airport about their use of non-standard traffic pattern operations (LONG - 6 mile straight in approaches) during higher density periods of flight operations.I had a near mid air with one of the aircraft that ignored the Traffic pattern.[NONE OF THE PILOTS WERE] FOLLOWING STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN PROCEDURES AS CALLED OUT IN THE AIRMANS INFORMATION MANUAL (AIM).Aircraft would fly out of the airport operations area and instead of using accepted procedures to join with other traffic operating at the airport (Left traffic for RWY 18 - as winds were out of the south); aircraft with the airport open house...were returning to RWY 18 on SIX MILE LONG straight in approaches (in perfect VFR conditions).We arrived at LRY in a no radio used for glider tow operations. We entered Left traffic using standard AIM procedures in front of a departing aircraft exiting in Left downwind. We turned standard left base and were about to turn final when a small aircraft broke off their long final. I witnessed several other aircraft ignoring the standard pattern while we refueled.There is a good reason why all aircraft -- especially during heavy operations - need to observe standard and accepted arrival procedures.These were NOT instrument arrivals - they were using the CTAF - but a discussion should be had with airport management about standard arrival procedures including standard pattern entry procedures when operating these flights.Fortunately both my student and the other pilot spotted each other and we both took appropriate evasive maneuvering...we landed with no incident; the other aircraft went around and circled to right and reentered a straight in (again a non-standard arrival pattern for a VFR aircraft.
While flying a standard pattern entry and circuit; the pilot of an aircraft not equipped with communication radios; suffered a close encounter on final with a straight-in another small aircraft.