traffic pattern

The pattern has named legs — upwind, crosswind, downwind, base and final — flown at a published height, usually with left turns. It is called the circuit in British and Commonwealth usage. A general-aviation field with an aircraft in the pattern gives a spotter the same shot repeatedly, which is the easiest place to learn to track a moving subject.

Nearby in Aviation

• thrust reverser — A mechanism that redirects engine thrust forward to help slow an aircraft after landing.
• touch-and-go — A landing immediately followed by a takeoff, without stopping.
• transponder — An onboard radio that replies to radar interrogation with the aircraft's code and, usually, its altitude.
• turboprop — An aircraft whose propeller is driven by a gas turbine through a reduction gearbox.