Definition
A system of visual indicators installed on the ground at airports without an operating control tower, providing arriving pilots with traffic pattern information. The segmented circle surrounds a wind direction indicator and typically includes traffic pattern indicators (L-shaped extensions) showing the direction of turns for each runway, along with a landing direction indicator and wind cone.
Plain English
A ring of painted markers on the ground at non-towered airports that tells pilots flying overhead which way to fly the traffic pattern and which way the wind is blowing.
Context Anchor
Seen from the air during arrival at many airports, especially airports without an operating control tower, near the wind cone or windsock.
Derivation
Called 'segmented' because the circle is made up of separate pieces or segments rather than a continuous painted line. Each segment carries a piece of information for the pilot.
Why Pilots Care
It allows pilots to determine the correct traffic pattern direction for safe operations at uncontrolled airports without needing radio communication.
Intuition Check
Do not treat a segmented circle as airport decoration or a boundary line. In FAA use, it is a visual information system for pilots arriving at the airport.
Example Sentence 1
Before entering the pattern at the uncontrolled field, she circled overhead at 1,500 feet above pattern altitude to read the segmented circle and confirm the wind favored Runway 27.
Example Sentence 2
During the pre-landing briefing the instructor pointed out the segmented circle to verify the traffic direction at the uncontrolled field.