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Operating at Airports without a Control Tower

Announce your intentions on the CTAF 10nm out from the airport.

Using the Traffic Patterns​

From the AIM:

Key to traffic pattern operations

  1. Enter pattern in level flight, abeam the midpoint of the runway, at pattern altitude.
  2. Maintain pattern altitude until abeam approach end of the landing runway on downwind leg.
  3. Complete turn to final at least 1/4 mile from the runway.
  4. Continue straight ahead until beyond departure end of runway.
  5. If remaining in the traffic pattern, commence turn to crosswind leg beyond the departure end of the runway within 300 feet of pattern altitude.
  6. If departing the traffic pattern, continue straight out, or exit with a 45 degree turn (to the left for a left-pattern; to the right for a right pattern) beyond the departure end of the runway, after reaching pattern altitude.