Aerobatic
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 75; Flight Crew Total 2300; Flight Crew Type 100
Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors; Airport
I fly a high performance aerobatic aircraft out of an uncontrolled field that has a typical mix of general aviation aircraft using it. It is difficult to slow it down to Cessna 172/182 kinds of speeds in the pattern; because it forces me to have a very high deck angle to maintain altitude and this eliminates forward visibility. Further; if I fly too far from the runway (many GA pilots fly very large patterns); I will never make the runway in the event of an engine failure and an off-airport landing in this aircraft is very dangerous. As a result; my general procedure is to announce 3 miles out; then cross midfield and ascertain the location of other potential traffic in the pattern. When there is none; I fly a tight downwind; base; and final to touchdown. When there is traffic in the pattern; I orbit over the runway at pattern altitude until I can establish where I will be in the sequence for landing. At all times; I make multiple radio calls on the CTAF frequency to alert other pilots to my location and intentions.[Recently]; I was arriving into the airport area from the southwest. I called three miles out and said I would be crossing midfield. It was already apparent to me that there were several aircraft in the pattern; but I was too far away to determine exactly who was where. As I crossed midfield; I made my standard mid-field radio call; and I could see that there was an aircraft on final and one on base for runway 15; so I radioed that I would be orbiting overhead and would be number 3 for runway 15. As aircraft number 1 landed and exited the runway; I saw another aircraft turn base for 15; effectively taking my slot. Since I was in no particular hurry; I decided to let that go and I continued to orbit and again radioed that I would be number 3 for runway 15 behind the aircraft turning base. After the next aircraft landed; I radioed that the Maintenance would now be number 2 for 15. Immediately after that radio call; another aircraft entered the left downwind for 15 and radioed that he would be number 2 for 15. I responded by telling him that the Maintenance was orbiting overhead the runway and would be number 2 for 15; and he would be number 3. I received no other radio transmissions from him. When it was clear that the aircraft on final (number 1) would be down and out of my way; I entered a left downwind for 15 and then turned a tight base. At that time I saw another aircraft turning a distant base to final for 15; and I radioed that I would be down and out of his way no factor for him. That aircraft landed behind me without incident after I had exited the runway and it immediately took off again (I believe it was a touch and go; or perhaps a stop and go). After I taxied in and shut down my aircraft; another pilot taxied nearby; stepped out of his aircraft and told me that I had cut him off in the pattern. I was not aware of having cut anybody off and I exercised extra vigilance due to the amount of traffic that day. I think the root of this problem; other than the mix of different performance levels of aircraft; is the perception and belief on the part of some GA pilots that unless you're in the standard traffic pattern at very slow speed (like 80 kts); you simply cannot be allowed to land. The vast majority of the time the pilots I interact with are very cooperative and everything works fine. On rare occasion; however; there is a pilot who simply refuses to cooperate with a pilot who doesn't conform exactly to his way of doing things. I don't have a great solution to this problem since I cannot safely fly a normal GA pattern at the kinds of speeds that high wing aircraft often fly. Continuous vigilance on my part is important; of course; but other pilots need to be aware of higher performance aircraft and make reasonable accommodations for them at uncontrolled airports.
The pilot of a high performance aerobatic aircraft is informed of an airborne conflict after landing by the pilot of the C182 involved. The reporter was flying a non standard pattern at higher speed and closer in due to the performance characteristics of his aircraft.