← All explained questions · Supplemental · III — Airport & Seaplane Base Operations

A pilot at a non-towered airport hears another aircraft self-announce 'Bedford traffic, Cessna 1234A, downwind for runway 24.' If you are also in the pattern for runway 24, you should

Choices

ignore the announcement.
Ignoring traffic info violates see-and-avoid.
✓ acknowledge or coordinate by self-announcing your own position relative to that aircraft.correct
e.g., 'Cessna 1234A, Bedford traffic, Cherokee 567B is on the 45 entry to downwind, will follow you'). maintain visual contact and traffic separation. CTAF coordination at non-towered airports is built on shared situational awareness. Self-announce your position relative to the other aircraft so they (and others) know where you are. Maintain visual contact when possible. The 'see and avoid' principle (91.113) is paramount. AC 90-66C describes the recommended announcements.
switch to a different runway.
Switching runways may create more conflict.
land immediately to clear the airspace.
Cannot land out of sequence in a busy pattern.

Why

e.g., 'Cessna 1234A, Bedford traffic, Cherokee 567B is on the 45 entry to downwind, will follow you'). maintain visual contact and traffic separation. CTAF coordination at non-towered airports is built on shared situational awareness. Self-announce your position relative to the other aircraft so they (and others) know where you are. Maintain visual contact when possible. The 'see and avoid' principle (91.113) is paramount. AC 90-66C describes the recommended announcements.

FAA source: AC 90-66C, AIM 4-1-9; AC 90-66C Non-towered Airport Flight Operations; AIM 4-1-9 Traffic Advisory Practicesbrowse the reference library →

Covered in Supplemental · III — Airport & Seaplane Base Operations — study the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question.