What is pattern altitude at all fields?

What is pattern altitude at all fields?

• A. 1000' AGL
• B. 500' MSL
• C. 500' AGL
• D. 400' AGL

Answer: (C)

Pattern altitude is the altitude above the surface at which you fly the standard traffic pattern around a field. For the TH-73A, the standard pattern altitude at all fields is 500 feet AGL. This keeps rotorcraft operations in a stable, controllable range and accounts for rotor wash and slower speeds, while remaining consistent across different field elevations since it’s measured above the ground. Using a height above mean sea level would cause patterns to vary with terrain, which isn’t desirable for a uniform training pattern. The other options don’t fit because 1000 feet AGL is typically used for fixed-wing patterns, 500 feet MSL doesn’t reflect ground-relative height, and 400 feet AGL is not the standard value.

Pattern altitude is the altitude above the surface at which you fly the standard traffic pattern around a field. For the TH-73A, the standard pattern altitude at all fields is 500 feet AGL. This keeps rotorcraft operations in a stable, controllable range and accounts for rotor wash and slower speeds, while remaining consistent across different field elevations since it’s measured above the ground. Using a height above mean sea level would cause patterns to vary with terrain, which isn’t desirable for a uniform training pattern. The other options don’t fit because 1000 feet AGL is typically used for fixed-wing patterns, 500 feet MSL doesn’t reflect ground-relative height, and 400 feet AGL is not the standard value.