What Is The Origin........

[Pips]

Of the racetrack landing circuit? When was it first applied and in what country? Was it commercial flying that brought it about?

The reason I ask is that if one views early footage of WWI aircraft they basically all roar off, and land, straight in and out. The only restriction being to do so into the wind. Even footage of RAF fighters operating in 1940 follows the pattern of straight in and out from the airfield. In a RAF instruction manual I have (dated 1941) it mentions that the pilot should set up for landing 2 miles out on a straight line.

Yet the racetrack pattern was known at that time, as the USN, IJN and FAA all used it for carrier landings. Although I'm not sure from what date.

[heywooood]

if you ever read Eddie Rickenbackers account of his WWI flying career you might give him credit for it.

In one of the chapters of his book he witnesses yet another head on collision on the ground at his own base as two planes land simultaneously from opposite ends of the field.

As squadron commander I think at the time, he orders his pilots from that day forward to make a circuit of the field before landing - to ensure against this kind of accident.

[Pips]

Now that's interesting. So when did it become commonplace?

[PRB]

As far as carrier ops is concerned, I think the technique of a flight of four planes flying to the ship at high speed, then peeling off one by one at 2 (or something) second intervals, once they arrive over the ship, then circling the ship to land, was done as a way of speeding up the recovery of flights. It was faster than the same four planes strung out in a long straight-in approach to the ship.

[Piglet]

Just also seems to make sense, keeping everything organized and spaced out within an airfield's vicinity. When cars first became common, the idea of lanes, signs, and soon, lights came pretty quick. Then came the parking meter:isadizzy:

[lucas81]

Manfred von Richthofen also described that problem in his instructions on how to command a Geschwader (unit consisted of four Jagdstaffels). He wrote that document in 1917 and it was published in his biography by Peter Kilduff.

[stiz]

Even footage of RAF fighters operating in 1940 follows the pattern of straight in and out from the airfield. In a RAF instruction manual I have (dated 1941) it mentions that the pilot should set up for landing 2 miles out on a straight line.


for take off it was the best way of getting as many planes into the air at once, from what i've read they took off in sections (3 aircraft to a section) then formed up on the way out, cept for a scramble to defend base, in which case it was everyone up at once. As for the landing, as far i know we used ciruits for landing at op squadrons, however training might have been different.

I guess its just going to one of those mystarys where no one really knows when it started.

[lucas81]

It started during the WW1 when the idea of "squadron" was invented (so it is around battle of Verdun in 1916). Take off - getting altitude - forming up. During the landing, the flight leader was landing as a last one.
In the 20's it became "a must" due to increasing traffic, both in civil and military aviation. According to the civil one, i have some documents about "aerial bill" written in 1928 in my country and there is clearly written about left traffic pattern after take off and about circuits. As there were international regulations, iam sure that it was pretty similar everywhere.

[jmig]

As far as carrier ops is concerned, I think the technique of a flight of four planes flying to the ship at high speed, then peeling off one by one at 2 (or something) second intervals, once they arrive over the ship, then circling the ship to land, was done as a way of speeding up the recovery of flights. It was faster than the same four planes strung out in a long straight-in approach to the ship.

It is a 4 second spacing, at least it was in my day. I don't know when it started but it is the fastest way to get multiple aircraft on the ground.