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Having solved the impossible turn and other manufactured crises, the aviation training industry (or at least some YouTubers and keyboard warriors) has now turned its attention to the teardrop pattern entry. This “innovation” is alternately described as wildly unsafe or the only legal option for entering the traffic pattern. In reality it’s neither, but the bigger problem is that most pilots don’t even know what it means.
Before you write this off as some academic debate, remember that most mid-air collisions happen during the day, in good weather, in or near the traffic pattern. That means the techniques we use to manage the see-and-avoid process near airports matters. And since 95% of airports in the US are nontowered, most pilots will use some type of pattern entry every time they fly.
What is the teardrop?
Is the boom in teardrop entries all ForeFlight’s fault?
If you’ve arrived at a non-towered airport recently, especially one with a busy flight school, you may have heard another airplane announce something to the effect of “overhead for the teardrop entry.” This is not an instrument procedure, but rather a way to enter the traffic pattern when approaching from the opposite side of the runway. Some people have blamed ForeFlight for the increasing popularity of this maneuver, since the ubiquitous app can draw such a route right on the map. The theory is that today’s “children of the magenta line” are mindlessly following the route on their screen.
In reality, this procedure is in multiple FAA publications. For example, the Airplane Flying Handbook spells it out: “One method of entry from the opposite side of the pattern is to announce intentions and cross over midfield at least 500 feet above pattern altitude (normally 1,500 feet AGL)… When well clear of the pattern—approximately 2 miles—the pilot should scan carefully for traffic, descend to pattern altitude, then turn right to enter at 45° to the downwind leg at midfield.” The FAA doesn’t call it a teardrop, but that word is simpler than “pattern overflight followed by descent and turn to 45-degree leg,” so we’ll use it for now.
What about the old fashioned midfield crosswind, which many of us grew up flying? That is absolutely allowed and referenced in the AFH, but it suggests this depends on traffic conditions: “An alternate method is to enter on a midfield crosswind at pattern altitude, carefully scan for traffic, announce intentions, and then turn downwind. This technique should not be used if the pattern is busy.”
With many flight schools bursting at the seams lately, the part about “if the pattern is busy” is just about guaranteed. That, more than anything, explains the growing popularity of the teardrop: the traditional midfield crosswind is pretty hard to pull off with six airplanes in the pattern.
The AFH is not the final word on traffic patterns. Advisory Circular 90-66C has more details, but this part is critical (and often overlooked): “The FAA does not regulate traffic pattern entry.” In other words, how you get to the runway is mostly a matter of manners, not regulations. In fact, the only thing the FAA is explicit about is the direction of turn: “At an airport without a control tower, the pilot must fly the traffic pattern with left turns, unless otherwise stated.” The word “must” makes it quite clear.
Real world use
To review, the teardrop is one possible option for joining the pattern, but it is not required or even preferred, and FAA regulations do not apply to pattern entries anyway. That leaves pilots with a lot of discretion, which is good for individual pilots but can cause confusion when 10 or 15 of us get together.
Before getting lost in the latest arguments, it’s important to remember the whole point of a traffic pattern: to improve safety and efficiency. Just like slow flight is not an end in itself, merely a way to learn airspeed control, the traffic pattern does not exist as a law of nature—it is simply a way to prevent midair collisions and get airplanes on the ground quickly.
So, what is safe and efficient? A descending 270-degree turn certainly does not meet that definition, especially if you’re in a high wing airplane that will block your view of the traffic on downwind while you’re turning. AC 90-66C alludes to this problem: “Entries into traffic patterns while descending may create collision hazards and should be avoided.” I have seen exactly this scenario play out, with a Cessna 172 in a descending turn right onto downwind while another airplane turns from crosswind to downwind.
The FAA makes clear that the teardrop is not a direct entry into the pattern.
The right answer, both per the FAA and common sense, is to fly the teardrop well outside the traffic pattern. Remember, what the diagram above shows is essentially the standard 45-degree entry into the pattern; the rest of the procedure just gets you over the runway and outside the pattern to make that turn. Here’s one of the key lessons: the teardrop is a way to enter the 45-degree leg, not a direct entry into the pattern. The AFH specifically recommends overflying the pattern by two miles before turning inbound. Also note that it says descend then turn, specifically to avoid that descending turn scenario.
Breaking it down, we have a multi-step procedure and not a single maneuver: fly over the pattern by two miles, then descend, then turn, and then join the 45-degree leg. Following that recommendation alone would eliminate many conflicts.
Still, some more experienced pilots (and I would count myself among them) get frustrated by newer pilots who take a robotic approach to flying, always flying the overhead entry no matter what the traffic conditions. That’s certainly not efficient, and can actually clog up the pattern if downwind is clear but the 45 is filling up.
There’s also the issue of turbine airplanes, which typically fly 500 feet higher in the pattern. That can put a fast-moving Citation at the same altitude as the trainer that’s crossing over midfield to set up for the 45. Again, the AFH has some good advice: “if large or turbine aircraft operate at the airport, it is best to remain 2,000 feet AGL so as not to conflict with their traffic pattern.” Just remember that in this case you will then have 1,000 feet to lose before you enter downwind, so you might need even more space from the pattern.
Don’t be a robot
Two universal skills can solve a lot of problems in the traffic pattern: maintaining situational awareness and staying flexible. Situational awareness means having a mental picture of the other airplanes in the pattern—not just your airplane—as well as where those airplanes are going. ADS-B traffic can help a lot with this, but don’t forget to listen and to look outside.
Flexibility means adapting your procedure to those current conditions, and being willing to change your plan as conditions change. For example, if the pattern is empty, the safest and easiest approach is to enter on the crosswind and turn left, skipping the teardrop and saving time. There are no bonus points for flying a needless leg of the pattern. On the other hand, if the pattern is packed tighter than two football players in a 152, it’s far better to fly at least two miles past the airport and make a turn to enter on the 45-degree leg. Your main priority is to find your place in line.
There’s more than one way to fly crosswind.
It’s the in-between scenarios that can cause trouble, though. What if there is only one airplane in the pattern? Again, flexibility is the name of the game, and there is a lot more on the menu besides simply midfield crosswind and teardrop. For a start, there are multiple crosswind options: if no one is taking off but another airplane is on downwind, you could adjust your crosswind leg to go over the departure end of the runway (instead of midfield), giving that other airplane more space. Just remember, if you’re going to do this the FAA reminds us that, “Aircraft should always enter the pattern at pattern altitude, especially when flying over midfield and entering the downwind directly.”
There’s also the option to fly the upwind leg (not to be confused with the departure leg). While FAA guidance no longer suggests using the upwind leg as a standard pattern entry procedure, nothing prevents you from using this leg to help you properly space your turn to the crosswind leg to accommodate other traffic ahead of you in the pattern. If you’re approaching from the final approach side of the runway and there is only one airplane entering downwind, sidestep to the upwind leg and fly parallel to the runway before turning crosswind. Again, the key is to avoid a collision, not follow some FAA diagram to within an inch.
Let’s make a deal
There is one other sentence in the AFH that pilots should remember, especially if you fly a high performance airplane: “The FAA discourages VFR straight-in approaches to landings.” That seems aimed directly at aviation’s most hated pilots: the ones that blast straight into a traffic pattern at 175 knots, asking the other seven airplanes to get out of the way (you know who you are).
So here’s a possible trade: student pilots should stop robotically flying the teardrop even when the pattern is empty, but only if grumpy old-timers stop flying straight-in approaches when the pattern is busy.
For more details, watch this video tip:
- What’s wrong with the teardrop pattern entry - September 25, 2024
- What matters for VFR proficiency: better landings - August 26, 2024
- Ignore the YouTube crash detectives—it’s usually pilot error - June 24, 2024
It’s the Wild West out there, and I’m afraid preaching the Gospel of Traffic Pattern Entries according to the AFH and the AC is tantamount to “Old Man Yells at Cloud” (with apologies to Matt Groening). When my part-time Delta goes Golf(ing) at night, we get the mix of entries on the upwind, crosswind, downwind, and base legs, teardrops, straight-ins, and (my all-time favorite): “entering on a modified left-base,” whatever that means. If the first one there–usually an instructor at a local flight school–decides to fly right traffic (as frequently happens), everyone else follows suit despite a distinct lack of “RP” on the chart or “Rgt tfc.” in the Chart Supplement, all while referring to the runway in use as “the active.”
Unfortunately I don’t think there can be messaging, even as articulate and well sourced as this article, powerful enough to break the bad habits of some of our fellow pilots. The ink spilled over safe, efficient, and preferred traffic pattern entries may unfortunately see the same fate as past diatribes over “any other traffic in the pattern….”
Last call,
–JM
I’ve watched the videos in question (the original and at least one follow-up interview) and I have to say: That person’s war on the teardrop has got to be mainly for social media hits – my primary CFI always taught me to be at TPA by the time you enter the 45 and NEVER, EVER descend into the downwind.
The whole advantage of flying the teardrop is that when you come around at TPA you can get a full sight picture of the other traffic which can in turn help you see and avoid (vs. say a direct entry). What am I missing?