I figured that I could more quickly find the answer here than pouring a ton of guesses into Google, so here it is:
When a pilot flies across a runway, either to enter a pattern from the other side, or simply because he’d rather fly across it than around it; I think there is a term for this. Traverse? Transition? Something like that? What is the word I’m looking for? The term a pilot would use when speaking to the tower or to the local traffic freq near an non-towered airport.
Thanks.
I believe you’re asking about a pilot wanting to fly VFR perpendicular to and over the active runway at or near the established VFR flight patter approach altitude for a specific airport.
While in the AF, I was a controller in a VFR tower for 18 months and this situation never presented itself. This is due to the established VFR flight patterns common to practically all airports setting forth on which side of the runway and at what altitude an aircraft must fly in order to make an approach.
If, for some reason, a pilot wanted to enter the flight pattern from a non-standard direction at the designated VFR pattern altitude, the pilot should use plain language to explain why the request is being made because airspace is probably being violated. I am simply unaware of any specific ATC phraseology applicable to this situation.
On the other hand, if you’re asking about a pilot flying in the same direction of the runway and very low to it, that’s a “low approach”. If the wheels of the aircraft make contact with the runway but the aircraft continues on and becomes airborne again, that is a “touch and go”.
If the pilot were crossing the runway in order to enter a normal landing pattern, that leg would be called the crosswind leg (to be followed by downwind, base and final).
A pilot who seeks permission of ATC to cross a controlled airport area (which wouldn’t necessarily include crossing a runway) would probably ask to “transit” or (commonly, but somewhat awkwardly) to “transition” the area.
A pilot simply flying across a non-controlled airport would probably not say anything, but would maintain an altitude well above that of any normal landing pattern.
At an uncontrolled airport, a pilot wishing to enter the pattern from the opposite side by flying over the runway would announce ‘crossing midfield’.
I suppose there will be different terminology in different countries. In the UK a pilot wishing to cross over the field and join the circuit might ask for an “overhead join” (pdf).
Crossing through controlled airspace without landing is a “zone transit”, while actually crossing right above the field would be an “overhead transit”.
I’m definitely referring to what you two are calling “crossing midfield” or “overhead transit”. Thanks!