What must be maintained behind a straight-in approach during a final turn?

Maintaining normal pattern size and spacing during a final turn of a straight-in approach is crucial for ensuring proper aircraft separation and safe operations. This practice helps to manage the flow of air traffic in the airspace, allowing for predictable movements that enhance safety. By adhering to standard spacing, pilots can better anticipate the positions of other aircraft, maintain situational awareness, and reduce the risk of conflicts with adjacent traffic.

The focus on normal pattern size ensures that the turn is executed in a controlled manner, keeping the aircraft within a safe distance from the runway threshold and aligning it properly for landing. This adherence to established patterns is essential for facilitating coordination between aircraft in the approach phase, allowing air traffic control effective oversight.

Other considerations, such as minimum altitudes or speed, while also important for overall safety during approaches, do not specifically address the need for consistent spacing within the traffic pattern that is essential for a final turn in a straight-in approach scenario.