SMA PLT FOLLOWS TFC PATTERN INDICATOR BUT IS TOLD WRONG DIRECTION PATTERN. NMAC WITH SECOND ACFT.

Narrative

ON A DAY FLT FROM CHICO; CA; TO ORLAND; CA; MY INTENTION WAS TO SHOOT TOUCH AND GO'S AT ORLAND. ARRIVING OVER HEAD THE ARPT; I WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THE UNICOM. THE WINDSOCK FAVORED THE S RWY (15). I READ THE TFC INDICATOR AND I INTERPRETED IT TO REQUIRE R TFC FOR RWY 15. (I HAD ALSO OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT MAKING A R DOWNWIND DEP.) TURNING FINAL; WE SAW A BLUE SMA PASS BELOW AND BEHIND US -- ALSO LNDG BUT MAKING L TFC TO RWY 15. I HAD MADE ALL THE REQUIRED CALLS -- DOWNWIND; BASE; AND FINAL ON THE CTAF/UNICOM AND HAD HEARD NO RESPONSE FROM UNICOM OR OTHER TFC. SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT; THE SMA CAME UP ON THE RADIO SAYING THAT L TFC WAS THE STANDARD FOR RWY 15 ORLAND. I REALIZE NOW THAT I LOOKED AT THE UPWIND SIDE OF THE INDICATOR AND MADE R TFC. THIS IS A CONFUSING INDICATION AND AS A RELATIVELY UNCURRENT GA PLT; I WAS OVERCONFIDENT AND WRONG! MY ERROR ALMOST CAUSED A MIDAIR (NO ACTUAL MANEUVERING WAS INVOLVED -- BUT TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT). WHEN I GOT HOME; I ALSO REALIZED THAT I WAS CARRYING A PAX AND NOT CURRENT UNDER THE 90 DAY RULE. I AM A PROFESSIONAL AIRLINE PLT AND I AM CURRENT ON MLG; BUT THE LAST LNDGS IN AN SMA WERE 5 MONTHS AGO WHEN I WAS CHKED OUT. I USED POOR JUDGEMENT AND HAVE STARTED TO HIT THE BOOKS AGAIN -- COMPLACENCY AND OVERCONFIDENCE GOT ME THIS TIME. BETTER THAN AN ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS CHKED ALL PUBS HE CAN THINK OF AND FINDS NO REF TO THE TYPE OF MARKINGS HE SAW AND HAS DRAWN ON RPT. HE TALKED TO LCL PLTS WHO JUST ACCEPT THERE IS L PATTERN AT ORLAND. UNICOM IS MANNED ON A HIT AND MISS BASIS SO COULD NOT GET ANY INFO FROM THEM. PLANS TO SEND GRAPHIC OF TFC PATTERN INDICATORS TO FSDO FOR AN EXPLANATION.