INSTRUCTOR WITH PLT MAKES L TFC PATTERN INSTEAD OF R HAND.

Narrative

BEEN USING COVINGTON FOR LNDG PRACTICE WITH STUDENTS FOR 15 YRS. WENT THERE ON THIS DATE WITH ACFT OWNER FROM A LCL GRASS FIELD FOR REQUALIFICATION/BFR TRAINING. HAD NOT BEEN TO COVINGTON IN SEVERAL MONTHS. ON LONG FINAL FOR 1 LNDG; HAD ANOTHER ACFT ENTER SHORT FINAL FROM R TURN AHEAD OF US. NO CONFLICT; BUT A GAR. COMPLETED 2ND TOUCH AND GO (PLUS AN INITIAL FULL STOP AND REFUELING) AND DEPARTED. OTHER ACFT WAS OBSERVED WITH A R HAND PATTERN AGAIN. GOT HOME AND LOOKED IN AFD. COVINGTON IS R HAND TFC FOR RWY 27. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FAMILIARITY AND INABILITY TO GET CLR UNICOM CALL. THE FREQ WAS SO BUSY; FROM OTHER IN-RANGE ARPTS ONLY HEARD FRAGMENTS OF ANYTHING. IF THEY STATED 'R HAND TFC' ON INITIAL CALL; WE DID NOT HEAR IT. ACFT WE WERE USING HAD AN INTERCOM AND WE WERE USING IT A LOT. SINCE WE WERE BOTH LOOKING A LOT; THERE WAS NO HAZARD; BUT IT WAS EMBARRASSING AFTER THE FACT; AND OF COURSE ILLEGAL. HAVE HAD MANY INSTANCES OF DIFFERING PATTERN AND OPPOSITE RWY ACFT AT THIS ARPT BECAUSE LOTS OF US FROM SMALL FIELDS USE IT TO TRAIN. NEVER ANY REALLY BAD PROBS BECAUSE AT LEAST ONE OF US HAS ALWAYS SEEN THE OTHER. LOOKING IS STILL THE BEST DEFENSE.