Narrative:

We are constantly having conflict between high-performance sport planes and the foreign language speaking (and very arrogant) instructors and students at our uncontrolled airport. Example: I had entered the pattern at exactly the published altitude on what probably seemed to the budding airline types as a short crosswind -- maybe 1/8 mi past the departure end of the active runway in my no radio aerobatic 200 plus hp biplane. An small aircraft containing (I later found) the manager of the flight school, entered the downwind from above pattern altitude, nearly on top of me, as I was turning downwind. To avoid any conflict, I flew to my right, wide, because I like to be able to see the threats. Since, as it turned out, I was about 20 KTS faster than he, I flew a normal, wide for me, pattern, and landed. After landing and putting my airplane away, the flight school manager (well known as a jerk anyhow) screeched over to my hangar and started threatening 'to call the FAA on me.' also questioning my skill, judgement, and ancestry. Also getting real red in the face. As far as I can tell, I didn't do anything not according to regulations. I flew the published pattern at the published altitude. Perhaps I insulted his honor; who knows. The problem is ongoing. The flight school teaches a very wide, long pattern. This makes no safety sense, wastes time and gas, and frustrates people trying to land and takeoff. I don't know what to suggest to correct the problem, except for the FAA to require that no jerks may manage flight schools, or at least to suggest that all pilots should fly patterns which will allow the airplane to reach the runway in the event of a power failure. This would serve to tighten up the pattern significantly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states no further action has occurred. But this is ongoing problem due to flight school techniques and mixed variety of old military and aerobatic aircraft with training aircraft at uncontrolled field. Analyst suggested involving the local FSDO. Reporter says they are like gestapo but he had dealt with regional office in his work and will discuss with them as well as hot line. When analyst counseled on his crosswind pattern entry he said that is locally approved procedure. Asked if such diagram was available to all pilots he did not think so. Will check with airport manager to see about developing and printing acceptable pattern entry procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIPLANE WITH NO RADIO HAS NMAC IN UNCTLED TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: WE ARE CONSTANTLY HAVING CONFLICT BTWN HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORT PLANES AND THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPEAKING (AND VERY ARROGANT) INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS AT OUR UNCTLED ARPT. EXAMPLE: I HAD ENTERED THE PATTERN AT EXACTLY THE PUBLISHED ALT ON WHAT PROBABLY SEEMED TO THE BUDDING AIRLINE TYPES AS A SHORT XWIND -- MAYBE 1/8 MI PAST THE DEP END OF THE ACTIVE RWY IN MY NO RADIO AEROBATIC 200 PLUS HP BIPLANE. AN SMA CONTAINING (I LATER FOUND) THE MGR OF THE FLT SCHOOL, ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FROM ABOVE PATTERN ALT, NEARLY ON TOP OF ME, AS I WAS TURNING DOWNWIND. TO AVOID ANY CONFLICT, I FLEW TO MY R, WIDE, BECAUSE I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE THREATS. SINCE, AS IT TURNED OUT, I WAS ABOUT 20 KTS FASTER THAN HE, I FLEW A NORMAL, WIDE FOR ME, PATTERN, AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG AND PUTTING MY AIRPLANE AWAY, THE FLT SCHOOL MGR (WELL KNOWN AS A JERK ANYHOW) SCREECHED OVER TO MY HANGAR AND STARTED THREATENING 'TO CALL THE FAA ON ME.' ALSO QUESTIONING MY SKILL, JUDGEMENT, AND ANCESTRY. ALSO GETTING REAL RED IN THE FACE. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING NOT ACCORDING TO REGS. I FLEW THE PUBLISHED PATTERN AT THE PUBLISHED ALT. PERHAPS I INSULTED HIS HONOR; WHO KNOWS. THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING. THE FLT SCHOOL TEACHES A VERY WIDE, LONG PATTERN. THIS MAKES NO SAFETY SENSE, WASTES TIME AND GAS, AND FRUSTRATES PEOPLE TRYING TO LAND AND TKOF. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SUGGEST TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, EXCEPT FOR THE FAA TO REQUIRE THAT NO JERKS MAY MANAGE FLT SCHOOLS, OR AT LEAST TO SUGGEST THAT ALL PLTS SHOULD FLY PATTERNS WHICH WILL ALLOW THE AIRPLANE TO REACH THE RWY IN THE EVENT OF A PWR FAILURE. THIS WOULD SERVE TO TIGHTEN UP THE PATTERN SIGNIFICANTLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES NO FURTHER ACTION HAS OCCURRED. BUT THIS IS ONGOING PROBLEM DUE TO FLT SCHOOL TECHNIQUES AND MIXED VARIETY OF OLD MIL AND AEROBATIC ACFT WITH TRAINING ACFT AT UNCTLED FIELD. ANALYST SUGGESTED INVOLVING THE LCL FSDO. RPTR SAYS THEY ARE LIKE GESTAPO BUT HE HAD DEALT WITH REGIONAL OFFICE IN HIS WORK AND WILL DISCUSS WITH THEM AS WELL AS HOT LINE. WHEN ANALYST COUNSELED ON HIS XWIND PATTERN ENTRY HE SAID THAT IS LOCALLY APPROVED PROC. ASKED IF SUCH DIAGRAM WAS AVAILABLE TO ALL PLTS HE DID NOT THINK SO. WILL CHK WITH ARPT MGR TO SEE ABOUT DEVELOPING AND PRINTING ACCEPTABLE PATTERN ENTRY PROC.

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.