Circuit training is the first stage of practical pilot training focused on take-offs and landings. It involves the pilot making approaches to the runway or helipad, touching down and then applying power to take off again. This is undertaken in accordance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Regulations which are consistent with international practices.

How circuits are conducted

Sixty per cent of movements at Jandakot Airport are undertaking circuit training, including both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.

A training circuit consists of five legs – the take-off, crosswind, downwind, base and final approach to the runway.

Aircraft take off into the wind, climb to 500 feet and then turn onto the crosswind leg. They continue to ascend to 1000 feet and turn onto the downwind leg. Having turned onto the base leg the descent commences. After turning onto the final leg and lining up with the runway the aircraft will touch down and take off again.

The preferred runways under the noise abatement procedures for circuit training are Runways 06 Right and 24 Left. This means most of the aircraft undertaking circuit training operate south-east of the airport.

“Left-hand” circuits will be conducted when Runway 24 Left is in use and “right-hand” circuits when Runway 03 Right is in use. For left-hand circuits, the pilot turns left after take-off and flies anticlockwise. For right-hand circuit, the pilot turns right and flies in a clockwise direction.

A simplified representation of a left-hand circuit is shown at right. The take off and final stage of the circuit is flown into the wind, as this is the safest way for an aircraft to operate. The aircraft symbols and dotted lines indicate recommended ways for an aircraft to join the circuit pattern. Click the image to enlarge it, and use your browser “Back” button to return to this page.

Jandakot Airport’s voluntary Fly Neighbourly Agreement asks signatories to keep circuits as narrow as possible. However, because the student pilots performing circuits are so new to flying, this is not always achievable.

More information about circuit training is found here.

Animation of the Jandakot circuit

The animated aircraft below and the static tracks shown in blue are created from actual tracks flown by aircraft in the circuit. This illustrates the degree of variation that will occur in the way student pilots fly circuits. The altitudes above mean sea level of the aircraft are also shown.

You can enlarge to full-screen by clicking the square-shaped button in the bottom right-hand corner of the player.

To replay the animation press the “Replay” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the player.

Effects of runway direction

Air traffic control will determine which runways are used at any given time depending on the direction of the wind – this is because aircraft must generally take off and land into the wind for safety reasons.

Depending on which runway direction is in use, different suburbs will be affected by different legs of the circuit. The Noise Complaints and Information Service tends to receive more complaints from suburbs under the crosswind and base legs of the circuit. This is the case at all airports where circuit training occurs.

The flight training circuits extend up to five kilometres from the airport. When Runway 06 Right or 24 Left are in use affected suburbs include Canning Vale, Jandakot, Banjup, Atwell, Success and Cockburn Central. When Runways 12 or 30 are in use affected suburbs also include Piara Waters, South Lake, North Lake and Leeming.

Circuit Training hours

Training during both day and night is important for developing pilot competencies, as is experience with using different types of navigational aids.

Circuit training times are set out in the noise abatement procedures for Jandakot Airport and are:

Weekdays: 7:00am – 10:30pm
Weekends: 8:00am – 6:00pm

Please note that these times above apply only to circuit training, and not to arriving and departing aircraft which may operate 24 hours a day.

While there are set times for circuit training it is important to note that when aircraft are arriving outside control tower hours they are required to fly a circuit before landing for safety reasons. Therefore it may seem like aircraft are flying circuits outside hours when this is not the case.

Altitudes

Select a quarter to see charts showing a breakdown of which side of the airport circuits were conducted in that period. The breakdowns are shown as percentages rather than total counts. This is because the source radar data for Jandakot Airport has gaps due to the radar being located at Perth Airport. As these gaps occur randomly throughout the day, the data, while incomplete, provides a representative picture of the distribution of circuits.

The majority of aircraft using Jandakot Airport fly under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). There are designated routes for VFR aircraft to ensure that VFR traffic remains separate from aircraft flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). It is not mandatory that VFR aircraft fly these routes, but many do, especially as they approach or depart airports.

These routes are outside controlled airspace (“OCTA”), that is, aircraft are not being directed by air traffic control. Whenever they fly outside controlled airspace, pilots are following the rules of the air. More information about airspace is found here.

VFR routes include defined entry and exit points to and from controlled airspace. These are landmarks that are easily seen by the pilot from the air. These landmarks are highlighted in the images below, which also show the average percentage of arrivals or departures that use the route.

There is no minimum altitude for aircraft in the process of landing. Aircraft will generally descend on a glide slope of three degrees.

The altitude of aircraft after departure will depend on factors such as the type of aircraft and its weight, how heavily laden it is with fuel and passengers, and the atmospheric conditions at the time. All these factors affect an aircraft’s climb rate. There is no regulated minimum altitude for an aircraft in the process of taking off.

Arrivals

The main inbound tracks are via Canning Bridge, Forrestdale Lake and Adventure World.

The inbound route from the south begins at the boatyard at Henderson where aircraft need to be at 1500 feet. Aircraft then track to Adventure World.

For aircraft arriving from the north-east and east, from Canning Dam aircraft track to a point near Forrestdale Lake while descending to 1500 feet. This keeps them under the Perth Airport Control Area.

From the north-west, aircraft will fly down the coast from around Two Rocks by which time they must be below 4500 feet. Aircraft must remain over water to separate them from outbound aircraft which will track over land. They must be below 4000 feet by Cervantes and 2000 feet by Lancelin. Approaching Mullaloo Pont aircraft must descend to below 1500 feet to remain clear of controlled airspace. They will turn inland at the South Fremantle Power Station and track to Adventure World, maintaining 1500 feet.

Departures

The main departure routes from Jandakot are northwest via the Fremantle Golf Course, southeast via Armadale and south towards the Training Area, via Yangebup and Thompson Lakes.

Outbound aircraft for the north-west track along the coast remaining over land to avoid the inbound route over the water. They must maintain the departure altitude of 1000 feet until over Murdoch University Open Space so as not to conflict with arrivals via Adventure World which are at 1500 feet. At that point they can climb to 1500 feet, but not above or they will infringe controlled airspace. After tracking to Fremantle Golf Course they either proceed to Rottnest Island at 1500 feet, or turn north.

Aircraft heading south will track via Yangebup Lake and Lake Thomson. If departing Runway 06 Left, they will make a left-hand turn and follow the railway line to the south-west in order to remain clear of traffic that may be on the base leg of the circuit. Once past the junction of the railway line and Kwinana Freeway they will track to Lake Yangebup. Aircraft then track via the eastern shoreline of the lakes and maintain the altitude of 1000 feet. Once past Casuarina Prison aircraft can climb up to 6000 feet.

The route for aircraft outbound to the east is via Armadale. One thousand feet must be maintained until abeam Forrestdale Lake to ensure separation from arriving aircraft at 1500 feet. From Armadale aircraft must remain below 3500 feet as they track towards Canning Dam.

Scenic Route

Training Area