Editing Airfield traffic pattern (section)

{{Short description|Standard aircraft path}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
[[File:Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 immediately before landing at Heathrow, 8 July 2021.png|thumb|An [[Airbus A330#A330-300|Airbus A330-300]] of [[Turkish Airlines]] on ''[[Final approach|short final]]'' to [[Heathrow Airport]], immediately before [[Landing (aviation)|landing]].]]
An '''airfield traffic pattern''' is a standard path followed by [[aircraft]] when [[takeoff|taking off]] or [[landing]] while maintaining visual contact with the airfield.

At an [[airport]], the pattern (or '''circuit''') is a standard path for coordinating [[air traffic control|air traffic]]. It differs from "straight-in approaches" and "direct climb-outs" in that an aircraft using a traffic pattern remains close to the airport. Patterns are usually employed at small [[general aviation]] (GA) airfields and military [[airbase]]s. Many large [[air traffic control|controlled]] airports avoid the system unless there is GA activity as well as commercial flights. However, some kind of a pattern may be used at airports in some cases such as when an aircraft is required to [[go around]], but this kind of pattern at controlled airports may be very different in form, shape, and purpose to the standard traffic pattern as used at GA airports.

The use of a pattern at airfields is for [[aviation safety]]. By using a consistent flight pattern, pilots will know from where to expect other air traffic and be able to see and avoid it. Pilots flying under [[visual flight rules]] (VFR) may not be separated by air traffic control, so this consistent predictable pattern is a vital way to keep things orderly. At tower-controlled airports, air traffic control (ATC) may provide traffic advisories for VFR flights on a work-load permitting basis.