Narrative:

I was en route from gainesville, GA, to fermandia beach on an IFR flight plan with 3 friends on board. Under 10 mi from fernandina beach airport I had the airport in sight. The ceiling was between 3000-4000'. I cancelled my IFR clearance and was notified by ZJX that aerobatic planes were in the area. I then called unicom for traffic information, and I was told that an aerobatic team was practicing over the field, and I should stay to the east, runway 31 was in use. Approaching from the northwest, I spotted 4 small aerobatic planes performing loops and other aerobatic maneuvers on the left side of runway 31, the altitude was approximately 50-1500'. I elected to run a nonstandard right traffic pattern to ensure sep and remain northeast. I announced my intentions to unicom along with downwind, base and final. Upon landing I was told by an FAA official that this was the first day of training for the aerobatic team and he was there to see how GA air traffic was being affected. He further stated that the correct procedure was to fly (right in the middle of the aerobatic planes) a left traffic pattern and someone on the ground would radio the aerobatic planes to break off. When I asked FBO about his unicom instructions he became very defensive. I did overhear FBO giving new instructions to his ground help about what to say on unicom later that afternoon. I feel that safety was not the primary function during the aerobatic training. My passenger and aircraft were placed in a dangerous situation. My friends needed to go to that airport or else I would not have landed. I fault myself for landing. I also fault atl FSS for not giving me a NOTAM, ZJX for poor landing instructions and the FBO handling the unicom for poor airport advisory. The FBO acted as if they controled the airport and surrounding airspace. I feel that better communication would have prevented a deviation from FARS/aim.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT ADVISED OF AEROBATIC PRACTICE WEST OF RWY TO KEEP EAST OF FIELD ELECTS AND ADVISES ON UNICOM OF NONSTANDARD RIGHT HAND PATTERN, FAA INSPECTOR CLAIMED SHOULD HAVE MADE PRESCRIBED LEFT HAND PATTERN REGARDLESS OF AEROBATIC PRACTICE.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM GAINESVILLE, GA, TO FERMANDIA BEACH ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH 3 FRIENDS ON BOARD. UNDER 10 MI FROM FERNANDINA BEACH ARPT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THE CEILING WAS BTWN 3000-4000'. I CANCELLED MY IFR CLRNC AND WAS NOTIFIED BY ZJX THAT AEROBATIC PLANES WERE IN THE AREA. I THEN CALLED UNICOM FOR TFC INFO, AND I WAS TOLD THAT AN AEROBATIC TEAM WAS PRACTICING OVER THE FIELD, AND I SHOULD STAY TO THE E, RWY 31 WAS IN USE. APCHING FROM THE NW, I SPOTTED 4 SMALL AEROBATIC PLANES PERFORMING LOOPS AND OTHER AEROBATIC MANEUVERS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY 31, THE ALT WAS APPROX 50-1500'. I ELECTED TO RUN A NONSTANDARD RIGHT TFC PATTERN TO ENSURE SEP AND REMAIN NE. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO UNICOM ALONG WITH DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL. UPON LNDG I WAS TOLD BY AN FAA OFFICIAL THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY OF TRNING FOR THE AEROBATIC TEAM AND HE WAS THERE TO SEE HOW GA AIR TFC WAS BEING AFFECTED. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE CORRECT PROC WAS TO FLY (RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AEROBATIC PLANES) A LEFT TFC PATTERN AND SOMEONE ON THE GND WOULD RADIO THE AEROBATIC PLANES TO BREAK OFF. WHEN I ASKED FBO ABOUT HIS UNICOM INSTRUCTIONS HE BECAME VERY DEFENSIVE. I DID OVERHEAR FBO GIVING NEW INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS GND HELP ABOUT WHAT TO SAY ON UNICOM LATER THAT AFTERNOON. I FEEL THAT SAFETY WAS NOT THE PRIMARY FUNCTION DURING THE AEROBATIC TRNING. MY PAX AND ACFT WERE PLACED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY FRIENDS NEEDED TO GO TO THAT ARPT OR ELSE I WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED. I FAULT MYSELF FOR LNDG. I ALSO FAULT ATL FSS FOR NOT GIVING ME A NOTAM, ZJX FOR POOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS AND THE FBO HANDLING THE UNICOM FOR POOR ARPT ADVISORY. THE FBO ACTED AS IF THEY CTLED THE ARPT AND SURROUNDING AIRSPACE. I FEEL THAT BETTER COM WOULD HAVE PREVENTED A DEVIATION FROM FARS/AIM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.