Narrative:

I had been on an IFR flight plan. Was handed off and contacted midland arsa approach control. With good VFR and the airport in sight concealed strong winds in the area before contacting midland airpark unicom. Unicom advised of the windy conditions and recommended runway 29. Airport plan view noted right hand pattern from the AOPA airports directory, which I had consulted during preflight, and also checked while en route. No where is the any mention of a building being in close proximity to the traffic patterns of that airport. On the commercial approach plates there is no obstructions within the 5 mi radius. The airport/facility directory does make note of fences in the approach areas of several runways. As a prudent pilot trying to check all areas of the traffic pattern for other aircraft, and being extra careful at a strange airport looking for aircraft, I was in complete control of my aircraft and extended my downwind and base leg to keep a safe distance from a building which is about 4 stories tall, and very close to a normal traffic pattern. It would certainly help pilots to be aware of this building if so noted in the proper publications. It would also improve the relationship between the aviation community and the people in the building, even though the building is new and built long after the airport was there. We have the very same condition at the north little rock airport where people have built houses within 2500 ft of the end of the runway and make claims of airplanes flying within 50 ft of their house which we all know is not true. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states the building is placed so as to almost become a pylon when turning base with right traffic to runway 29. He simply extended downwind to avoid closer proximity. He also checked nos airport diagram and found an obstruction symbol at the proper place. Commercial company still not showing it however. Has not talked to anyone at airport but now plans to do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT SEES NEW BUILDING WHICH IS CLOSE TO ARPT TFC PATTERN. EXTENDS DOWNWIND.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WAS HANDED OFF AND CONTACTED MIDLAND ARSA APCH CTL. WITH GOOD VFR AND THE ARPT IN SIGHT CONCEALED STRONG WINDS IN THE AREA BEFORE CONTACTING MIDLAND AIRPARK UNICOM. UNICOM ADVISED OF THE WINDY CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDED RWY 29. ARPT PLAN VIEW NOTED R HAND PATTERN FROM THE AOPA ARPTS DIRECTORY, WHICH I HAD CONSULTED DURING PREFLT, AND ALSO CHKED WHILE ENRTE. NO WHERE IS THE ANY MENTION OF A BUILDING BEING IN CLOSE PROX TO THE TFC PATTERNS OF THAT ARPT. ON THE COMMERCIAL APCH PLATES THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTIONS WITHIN THE 5 MI RADIUS. THE ARPT/FACILITY DIRECTORY DOES MAKE NOTE OF FENCES IN THE APCH AREAS OF SEVERAL RWYS. AS A PRUDENT PLT TRYING TO CHK ALL AREAS OF THE TFC PATTERN FOR OTHER ACFT, AND BEING EXTRA CAREFUL AT A STRANGE ARPT LOOKING FOR ACFT, I WAS IN COMPLETE CTL OF MY ACFT AND EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND AND BASE LEG TO KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE FROM A BUILDING WHICH IS ABOUT 4 STORIES TALL, AND VERY CLOSE TO A NORMAL TFC PATTERN. IT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP PLTS TO BE AWARE OF THIS BUILDING IF SO NOTED IN THE PROPER PUBLICATIONS. IT WOULD ALSO IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP BTWN THE AVIATION COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING, EVEN THOUGH THE BUILDING IS NEW AND BUILT LONG AFTER THE ARPT WAS THERE. WE HAVE THE VERY SAME CONDITION AT THE N LITTLE ROCK ARPT WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BUILT HOUSES WITHIN 2500 FT OF THE END OF THE RWY AND MAKE CLAIMS OF AIRPLANES FLYING WITHIN 50 FT OF THEIR HOUSE WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS NOT TRUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THE BUILDING IS PLACED SO AS TO ALMOST BECOME A PYLON WHEN TURNING BASE WITH R TFC TO RWY 29. HE SIMPLY EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO AVOID CLOSER PROX. HE ALSO CHKED NOS ARPT DIAGRAM AND FOUND AN OBSTRUCTION SYMBOL AT THE PROPER PLACE. COMMERCIAL COMPANY STILL NOT SHOWING IT HOWEVER. HAS NOT TALKED TO ANYONE AT ARPT BUT NOW PLANS TO DO SO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.