very interesting . One big controversy in the US when flying the traffic pattern is whether or not to say upwind or departure leg when staying in the pattern.
Is it necessary? I fly at an uncontrolled airport where there is large volume of flight training. The CTAF is very congested. While there may be a seldom situation which necessitates announcing the crosswind or upwind, doing so as a matter of procedure does not serve any relevant purpose. Leave the freq open for more valuable information. Safely sharing the traffic pattern requires a meeting of the minds. I need to know what you’re doing and visa-versa. When necessary, “Midfield downwind”, “downwind abeam the numbers”, or “Downwind abeam departure end” are much more valuable calls than “crosswind” or “upwind”.
Knowing the area and what is expected there definitely gives some guidance into what should be said. I've flown in some areas where instead of legs pilots called out identifiable features around the airport (this was in mountainous areas). One problem with flying this way is it causes confusion for pilots who are transient or new to the area.
