[Steve Wells]

I probably fly out of one of the busier airports for the average Trike pilot. Maybe some of the things I have to do to operate here will offer some ideas.

I fly out of KFHU which is a joint military / civilian airfield with three runways. We have >120,000 operations a year. I don’t even want to do the math…

During the week it is a Class D serviced by a full approach control radar and 3/4 surrounded by an active restricted area. Three satellite airfields all within a few miles are also controlled by the tower and have Shadow UAS and other manned and unmanned systems flying from them. During the weekends tower is usually closed so it’s class G and the restricted areas are inactive. Often a TFR over the field when the tower is closed for UAS operations by Customs and Border Protection.

During the week when I fly I am mixing with non-stop training patterns of F-16, A-10, UC-35, RC-12, C-130, Predator UAS, Reaper UAS, Grey Eagle UAS and helicopters. Then add an Ameriflight EMB-120, PHI HEMS helicopter, the fire fighting VLATs (DC-10s), Skycranes, Chinooks and Hueys with bambi buckets, and about 35 of us GA birds hangered on our side of the airfield.

Patterns in a trike are still absolutely not a problem.

For take-offs when Tower is open, I will always ask for a low level departure in whatever direction I’m headed, or one of the low level helicopter transitions to just stay out of the patterns all together. ATC prefers me to act like a helicopter at my slow speeds and just stay clear anyway. They always happily approve a LL departure. I’ll stay below 200′ until out of their airspace. When tower is closed and I’m not doing pattern work, I will do the same by just announcing on CTAF. Yes, an engine out at 50-200′ sucks…but the odds of an engine out versus mixing aircraft parts or flying in heavy aircraft vortices makes it a win. I just set the cruise throttle, try not to make power adjustments until I climb out, and enjoy the flight.

For landing events: During the week, Approach will either clear me thru, vector me thru, or have me divert to the Class D corridor that tunnels thru the restricted areas. Once handed off to tower, I’m either vectored in sequence to some point of the pattern, or just cleared to enter downwind with aircraft advisories. If it’s busy and winds permit, I’ll offer to LAHSO on one of the other runways to facilitate traffic on my initial call to tower. They are about 50/50 on giving me an alternate runway depending on type of training aircraft in the pattern (greater separation may be required) or regular operational flights.

If I don’t get cleared for a LAHSO, and I’m instead cleared to enter downwind for the crazy busy active runway, there are three pattern altitudes depending on aircraft type. I will use the helo/ultralight pattern (500’AGL) which allows me to fly 500′ or more under the other wider and higher patterns at 1000′ and 1500′ to get to that tight-in 5 minute or less pattern for an 80KT aircraft (see Larry’s explanation). I’m usually cleared to land behind one or two aircraft ahead of me so I adjust my airspeed as best as possible on downwind to sequence my base leg with the shortest possible final (preferred when I’m down to 50KTS) or a 3 minute 80KT final if I’m worried about wake turbulence.

When tower is closed, there is generally very little military traffic. The EMB-120, helicopters and Predator UAS from CBP, the PHI HEMS bird, fire fighting tankers during fire season, and all us GA guys. It can get busy on occasion, but generally I’ll only encounter 1 or 2 other aircraft in the pattern.

For a simple inbound to full stop I’ll just make announcement on CTAF like normal, but I’ll typically fly the 1000′ pattern because it’s where other aircraft expect to find/see me to sequence (versus the positive control from tower when it’s open.) If it’s busy with training traffic from the local CFI’s and the nearby aviation college and they are flying huge 747 patterns with long finals… I may come in low level and pop up into my tighter 500′ pattern on Base or Final to my chosen runway. If I’m doing pattern work, I’ll chat the other pilots up in the pattern, use the same runways as them, and let them know I’ll be lower and tighter for sequencing. That way they know where to look for me and the trainees don’t have an aneurism trying to visualize two different runway patterns over the airfield.

[Steve Wells]

Hello back from Sierra Vista, AZ

[Steve Wells]

Let me know when you want to do Tombstone. We can offer you space in a hangar and go with in the Revo. We fly Tombstone, Bisbee and the Dragoon Mtns often. Close by are Johny Ringo’s grave in the Chiricahua Mtns and the spot where Curly Bill was killed by Wyatt Earp in the Whetstone Mtns.