How to tell which pattern at an airport?
 

At ATL, there's a GREAT view of departures and arrivals from the north and south parking desk, but only if planes are arriving from the west and taking off to the east. Is there any way, without actually listening to the radio, to find out which approach/departure they're using at any particular time, especially if there's a north or south crosswind and it's hard to predict?

Get an Airport Facilities Directory. These green books have information on every airport in a their specific geographical area. These directories have all the information any pilot would need before departing to their destination, often including a telephone number to the automated ATIS. The ATIS will advise you of landing and departing runways for that hour at question.

Although I do not have an A/FD for GA I will be around one in the next couple of days, so if no one else here has one that they can post I will post the ATIS telephone # (if published) in a couple days.

Well, go to the airport and look. Then, you know.

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Airnav doesn't list a phone number for ATIS. Not all airports have this, by the way. But if you have a radio that tunes aviation freqs. tune into 119.65 for Arrivals and 125.55 for departures.

Get yourself a transceiver so you can tune in to ATIS frequencies which you can get from resources including the A/FD.

www.marvgolden.com has been a favorite of mine for pilot supplies. Prices are very attractive, and service is quick and down-to-earth.

Besides just the approach pattern, you can get a lot more insight to and appreciation for all that goes into putting a plane into the air, keeping it there, and putting it back on the ground.

Have fun. (Just lay off the transmit button).

It depends on the wind. If there is any significant wind they will always takeoff and land into the wind.

If the winds are light then they'll use the calm wind runways which, I belive, results in arriving/departing to the West at ATL.

(Edited because I posted without reading the whole thread. As mentioned earlier, the Airport/Facility Directory includes phone numbers for many ATIS's.)



[This message has been edited by ATC (edited 10-18-2002).]