Landing Pattern Terms

CHAPTER SIX

T-6A CONTACT

Break: A decelerating, 180 overhead transition flown at 45 AOB to position the aircraft on the

downwind leg in the downwind configuration.

Upwind: The extended runway centerline past the landing area and beyond.

Crosswind: The pattern leg, perpendicular to the runway, between upwind and downwind.

Downwind: The portion of the racetrack pattern offset from the runway in the opposite direction

of landing.

Abeam: A point of the downwind leg abeam the intended point of landing.

Approach Turn, or Final Turn: A descending turn from the downwind leg to final approach.

180 position: Point at which approach turn is commenced.

90 Position, or Base: A point perpendicular to the runway, halfway around the final turn.

Final, or Final Approach: The extended centerline before the landing runway.

Aimpoint: A point in the runway approach end environment used as a reference, or teaching

tool, to fly the aircraft down final approach. The aimpoint remains fixed in the windscreen on

final. In the absence of a landing flare, the aimpoint would equal the intended point of landing.

Flare: The actual transition to landing; occurs in ground effect normally just a few feet above

the runway.

Intended Point of Landing: This is the point on the runway where you intend to touch down

and should be within the first 1/3 of the runway. If a crash truck, wheels watch, runway duty

officer, etc. is positioned at the approach end of the duty runway, land past their position.

Touch and Go: A landing followed immediately by another takeoff (as opposed to a full-stop

landing).

Visual Wingtip Distance (WTD) References (Figure 6-2): Specific T-6A WTD are used in

subsequent explanations as a means to measure offset and are defined as:

6-2

LANDING PATTERN