Advisory Circular 90-66B Updated

On March 13th the FAA updated Advisory Circular AC 90-66B that deals with operations at non-towered airports. One change to note is that it now reflects the same update as the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) as seen in the image below:

This shows another acceptable method of entering the traffic pattern from the non-pattern side. The first method is shown in the first figure below: overflying the pattern at least 500 ft. above the traffic pattern altitude (TPA), clearing the traffic pattern before descending to TPA, and then doing a "teardrop" to enter on the 45 degree entry. The other method that they now show is crossing mid-field from the non-pattern side to the traffic pattern side and then joining the downwind while yielding to other traffic.

What procedure do you typically use, and what are your thoughts? Please comment below.

A couple of other things in this advisory circular to note:

• They do not recommend the phrasing "any traffic in the area, please advise" (the AIM advises against this as well)
• Not using the color of your aircraft as a replacement for your N-number/callsign

For more information, see the FAA advisory circular here.