Narrative:

Approaching fhr from the east under cavu conditions, I called for TA on unicom. I was advised by a cessna 182 that he was on left hand downwind on west side of airport for runway 34. Multiple other aircraft on frequency also reported inbound from various directions at greater distances than mine. Although set up for a right 45 degree downwind entry to runway 34 (the recommended direction at fhr), I elected instead to make a crosswind entry to the runway 34L downwind in order to follow existing traffic, and transmitted those intentions on 128.25. If I entered a right downwind as procedure calls for, I would then lose sight of my traffic on the west side of the airport, as that aircraft would have been on opposite side of cabin from me, and below the tip tank on a C340. I was concerned about the safety issue of next encountering that traffic 'head on' on base leg, or losing sight of that traffic under the nose while approaching from opposite directions. I decided that deviation from standard procedure was the safest thing to do under the circumstances in that it would keep the C182 on my side of the aircraft and visible at all times. I ultimately followed that aircraft on left downwind through to landing, holding off touchdown until that traffic cleared the runway at the far end of runway 34. Landing and approach otherwise without close encounter or incident. In the meantime, aircraft further out entered the right downwind, with their lndgs following without significant conflict. After shutting down, I approached by 2 angry pilots driving private vehicles through aircraft operating on the taxiway. Threatening discussion ensued about my not following the standard right hand pattern procedure for runway 34 at fhr. Recommendations: 1) if fhr is going to have a strict pattern policy, particularly calling for a right hand downwind to runway 34, then it should be followed by local pilots in addition to visitors. 2) the single unicom frequency for the san juan islands is not adequate for the number of airports and aircraft in that area. Frequency congestion makes reliable communication between aircraft nearly impossible. Given traffic congestion during the summer, fhr should have a discrete unicom frequency. 3) private vehicles operating randomly on the ramp and txwys at fhr represent a serious danger to aircraft. Operation of such vehicles, particularly given post 9/tue/03 concerns should be prohibited by the airport operator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C340 PLT MAKES A NON STANDARD PATTERN ENTRY AT FHR DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC.

Narrative: APCHING FHR FROM THE E UNDER CAVU CONDITIONS, I CALLED FOR TA ON UNICOM. I WAS ADVISED BY A CESSNA 182 THAT HE WAS ON L HAND DOWNWIND ON W SIDE OF ARPT FOR RWY 34. MULTIPLE OTHER ACFT ON FREQ ALSO RPTED INBOUND FROM VARIOUS DIRECTIONS AT GREATER DISTANCES THAN MINE. ALTHOUGH SET UP FOR A R 45 DEG DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RWY 34 (THE RECOMMENDED DIRECTION AT FHR), I ELECTED INSTEAD TO MAKE A XWIND ENTRY TO THE RWY 34L DOWNWIND IN ORDER TO FOLLOW EXISTING TFC, AND XMITTED THOSE INTENTIONS ON 128.25. IF I ENTERED A R DOWNWIND AS PROC CALLS FOR, I WOULD THEN LOSE SIGHT OF MY TFC ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT, AS THAT ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF CABIN FROM ME, AND BELOW THE TIP TANK ON A C340. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE OF NEXT ENCOUNTERING THAT TFC 'HEAD ON' ON BASE LEG, OR LOSING SIGHT OF THAT TFC UNDER THE NOSE WHILE APCHING FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. I DECIDED THAT DEV FROM STANDARD PROC WAS THE SAFEST THING TO DO UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THAT IT WOULD KEEP THE C182 ON MY SIDE OF THE ACFT AND VISIBLE AT ALL TIMES. I ULTIMATELY FOLLOWED THAT ACFT ON L DOWNWIND THROUGH TO LNDG, HOLDING OFF TOUCHDOWN UNTIL THAT TFC CLRED THE RWY AT THE FAR END OF RWY 34. LNDG AND APCH OTHERWISE WITHOUT CLOSE ENCOUNTER OR INCIDENT. IN THE MEANTIME, ACFT FURTHER OUT ENTERED THE R DOWNWIND, WITH THEIR LNDGS FOLLOWING WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT CONFLICT. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, I APCHED BY 2 ANGRY PLTS DRIVING PVT VEHICLES THROUGH ACFT OPERATING ON THE TXWY. THREATENING DISCUSSION ENSUED ABOUT MY NOT FOLLOWING THE STANDARD R HAND PATTERN PROC FOR RWY 34 AT FHR. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) IF FHR IS GOING TO HAVE A STRICT PATTERN POLICY, PARTICULARLY CALLING FOR A R HAND DOWNWIND TO RWY 34, THEN IT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY LCL PLTS IN ADDITION TO VISITORS. 2) THE SINGLE UNICOM FREQ FOR THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE NUMBER OF ARPTS AND ACFT IN THAT AREA. FREQ CONGESTION MAKES RELIABLE COM BTWN ACFT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. GIVEN TFC CONGESTION DURING THE SUMMER, FHR SHOULD HAVE A DISCRETE UNICOM FREQ. 3) PVT VEHICLES OPERATING RANDOMLY ON THE RAMP AND TXWYS AT FHR REPRESENT A SERIOUS DANGER TO ACFT. OP OF SUCH VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY GIVEN POST 9/TUE/03 CONCERNS SHOULD BE PROHIBITED BY THE ARPT OPERATOR.

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.