For a correct landing pattern, a formation will normally be separated into a landing sequence by ATC to maintain a safety margin between each aircraft of the flight.

The landing pattern consists of 3 primary legs: Downwind, Crosswind or Base, and Final. Only three legs are important:

Downwind is the leg when you are flying parallel to the runway. Downwind is always the opposite heading of the runway you intend to land on.

Crosswind or Base is the leg between downwind and final. A correct base is 90° to the runway heading.

Final is the last leg when you line up with the runway heading.

In order to land your aircraft, you have to enter the downwind leg and then turn to base at the right time. If you start your turn to base too soon, you will end up too high above the glidepath, making a landing dangerous, or impossible. On the other side, if you turn in too late, you will extend the downwind leg and therefore the aircraft following you in the pattern will be in front of you if he starts his turn towards final at the right time, or at worst, collide with each other. Fly towards an imaginative line that runs along the middle of the runway and extends out towards your final approach. The decision when to turn towards final is important. Always try to keep the runway (or at leat the runway extension) in sight, so you have a reference point for your turn to final and to compensate for the correct lineup. The correct apporoach angle is at 3°. Try to place the runway threshold and the Flight Path Marker at 3° on your HUD ladder. You will also see the VASI lights on each side of the runway in red and white. If they are all white, you are too high, if they are red, you are too low.

In the 69th, the landing pattern that is flown as Squadron SOP is normally much smaller (it is often termed a "Tactical Pattern") than the standard pattern that the simulation ATC will instruct you to fly. The Squadron landing pattern is as follows:

1. Approach the airfield at 300 KTS from any heading.
2. Try to overfly the runway at an angle of not more than 90°.
3. Once you are directly above the runway, execute a break with 60° bank towards downwind.
   
4. Climb or descent to 2000ft and keep at 300 KTS
5. As soon as the runway threshold reaches your aft wingtip, execute another break with 60° bank to base.
6. Reduce speed during the turn to 250-180 KTS
7. Turn to final approach and compensate during the turn
8. Gear down - Speedbrakes open
9. Reduce to approach speed
10. Touch down on the numbers
11. Use first available taxiway to clear runway for incoming traffic

You might ask: "How do I know when I have reached 60° bank?"
It is simple: check both of your attutide indicators for the marks on the bottom of the indicator.You will see small ticks in a very narrow spacing around the 6 o'clock position and on each side there are two more. This represents the angle of bank you are flying.

Practice this landing pattern until you feel comfortable with it. Use the ACMI in satellite view to review your patterns. If you do it right, you will see that there is not much difference between each pattern.