Narrative:

For the past few yrs I have been taking flight students from tri-cities to abingdon airport so that they could learn traffic pattern procedures at uncontrolled airports. During this time I had always flown a left traffic pattern at vji because I had seen no published information that any other procedure was authority/authorized. However, earlier in the week while flying in the area of vji, I heard a pilot ask for advisories from unicom and then specifically ask if right traffic was still 'preferred' for runway 24. The unicom operator replied 'affirmative.' remembering this exchange, but not having consulted a facility directory, I asked for an airport advisory on unicom as we approached the airport. I then asked to verify that the preferred traffic pattern was right traffic for runway 24. Again the unicom operator confirmed right traffic. After making several touch and go lndgs in right traffic we returned to tri. During this time I heard a local aircraft report entering standard left traffic for runway 24 at abingdon. Upon looking up the facility in the facility directory, I find no mention of right traffic at vji. I often advise students in my ground school that information received over unicom is not official, but I fell into that trap myself. Although there was no conflict in this instance, the possibility exists that one might develop due to a misunderstanding by an uninformed airport employee. Perhaps a brief orientation for FBO personnel should be held before allowing these people to give airport advisories over the local unicom frequency.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS ADVISED BY ARPT UNICOM PERSON THAT A R TFC PATTERN WAS PREFERRED FOR THE ACTIVE RWY AT A NON CTLED ARPT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY.

Narrative: FOR THE PAST FEW YRS I HAVE BEEN TAKING FLT STUDENTS FROM TRI-CITIES TO ABINGDON ARPT SO THAT THEY COULD LEARN TFC PATTERN PROCS AT UNCTLED ARPTS. DURING THIS TIME I HAD ALWAYS FLOWN A L TFC PATTERN AT VJI BECAUSE I HAD SEEN NO PUBLISHED INFO THAT ANY OTHER PROC WAS AUTH. HOWEVER, EARLIER IN THE WK WHILE FLYING IN THE AREA OF VJI, I HEARD A PLT ASK FOR ADVISORIES FROM UNICOM AND THEN SPECIFICALLY ASK IF R TFC WAS STILL 'PREFERRED' FOR RWY 24. THE UNICOM OPERATOR REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' REMEMBERING THIS EXCHANGE, BUT NOT HAVING CONSULTED A FACILITY DIRECTORY, I ASKED FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY ON UNICOM AS WE APCHED THE ARPT. I THEN ASKED TO VERIFY THAT THE PREFERRED TFC PATTERN WAS R TFC FOR RWY 24. AGAIN THE UNICOM OPERATOR CONFIRMED R TFC. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LNDGS IN R TFC WE RETURNED TO TRI. DURING THIS TIME I HEARD A LCL ACFT RPT ENTERING STANDARD L TFC FOR RWY 24 AT ABINGDON. UPON LOOKING UP THE FACILITY IN THE FACILITY DIRECTORY, I FIND NO MENTION OF R TFC AT VJI. I OFTEN ADVISE STUDENTS IN MY GND SCHOOL THAT INFO RECEIVED OVER UNICOM IS NOT OFFICIAL, BUT I FELL INTO THAT TRAP MYSELF. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO CONFLICT IN THIS INSTANCE, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT ONE MIGHT DEVELOP DUE TO A MISUNDERSTANDING BY AN UNINFORMED ARPT EMPLOYEE. PERHAPS A BRIEF ORIENTATION FOR FBO PERSONNEL SHOULD BE HELD BEFORE ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO GIVE ARPT ADVISORIES OVER THE LCL UNICOM FREQ.

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.