Narrative:

The problem arose when I was contacted on unicom and told to fly a l-hand pattern instead of the r-hand pattern. I was training a student and could receive but could not transmit without great inconvenience. There were no conflicts with other traffic. When I landed, I had a long conversation with the airport manager and tried to explain why it was so much safer to fly an opposite pattern than the other aircraft which are much faster. I listed the following: no chance of an aircraft passing or descending on me, I could turn away from traffic safer in a right pattern, I had a much greater field of view in the right pattern, there is more noise abatement on the right side. Far's leave it to the PIC which is the safest pattern to fly even if the segmented circle advises the opposite of what you intend to do. There was no printed pattern for ultralights, only word of mouth to the local pilots of ultralights. I needed to devote most of my time to the students, and not the radio and traffic. I had a very close call a number of yrs ago in the l-hand pattern and refused to ever fly it again in a training situation. We hope to resolve this by getting the more reasonable people to change from the left pattern to the right pattern. As far as I know, I was being very responsible by not flying the left pattern and breaking no far's. Safety is the first responsibility of a pilot and I was exercising this option. My only question was: am I required to follow a less safe course of action if that is what the airport manager says?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ULTRALIGHT DRIVER ADMITTED THAT HE WAS OPERATING IN THE TFC PATTERN OPPOSITE TO THAT PRESCRIBED IN THE AF/D AND HE ADMITTED THAT HE THOUGHT PAYING MORE ATTN TO HIS 'STUDENT' WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PAYING ATTN TO HIS FLYING.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN I WAS CONTACTED ON UNICOM AND TOLD TO FLY A L-HAND PATTERN INSTEAD OF THE R-HAND PATTERN. I WAS TRAINING A STUDENT AND COULD RECEIVE BUT COULD NOT XMIT WITHOUT GREAT INCONVENIENCE. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER TFC. WHEN I LANDED, I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION WITH THE ARPT MGR AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS SO MUCH SAFER TO FLY AN OPPOSITE PATTERN THAN THE OTHER ACFT WHICH ARE MUCH FASTER. I LISTED THE FOLLOWING: NO CHANCE OF AN ACFT PASSING OR DSNDING ON ME, I COULD TURN AWAY FROM TFC SAFER IN A R PATTERN, I HAD A MUCH GREATER FIELD OF VIEW IN THE R PATTERN, THERE IS MORE NOISE ABATEMENT ON THE R SIDE. FAR'S LEAVE IT TO THE PIC WHICH IS THE SAFEST PATTERN TO FLY EVEN IF THE SEGMENTED CIRCLE ADVISES THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO. THERE WAS NO PRINTED PATTERN FOR ULTRALIGHTS, ONLY WORD OF MOUTH TO THE LCL PLTS OF ULTRALIGHTS. I NEEDED TO DEVOTE MOST OF MY TIME TO THE STUDENTS, AND NOT THE RADIO AND TFC. I HAD A VERY CLOSE CALL A NUMBER OF YRS AGO IN THE L-HAND PATTERN AND REFUSED TO EVER FLY IT AGAIN IN A TRAINING SIT. WE HOPE TO RESOLVE THIS BY GETTING THE MORE REASONABLE PEOPLE TO CHANGE FROM THE L PATTERN TO THE R PATTERN. AS FAR AS I KNOW, I WAS BEING VERY RESPONSIBLE BY NOT FLYING THE L PATTERN AND BREAKING NO FAR'S. SAFETY IS THE FIRST RESPONSIBILITY OF A PLT AND I WAS EXERCISING THIS OPTION. MY ONLY QUESTION WAS: AM I REQUIRED TO FOLLOW A LESS SAFE COURSE OF ACTION IF THAT IS WHAT THE ARPT MGR SAYS?

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.