PLT OF A C180 MADE A R TURN IN TO RWY FOR LNDG AT A NON TWR ARPT INSTEAD OF L TURNS AND ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN PRIOR BASE LEG EVEN THOUGH HE WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER ACFT PLT SEVERAL TIMES DURING HIS APCH. HE LEARNED LATER THAT THERE WAS AN FAA CHK AIRMAN ABOARD THE ACFT.

Narrative

DURING AN APCH FOR LNDG AT DDC; WHILE BROADCASTING ON UNICOM FREQ; I WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER PLT AT DDC THAT THEY USE A STANDARD L TFC PATTERN. HE ADVISED ME OF THAT FACT ABOUT 4 TIMES DURING MY APCH. THAT PLT AND I WERE THE ONLY 2 ACFT IN THE PATTERN. THE WIND WAS FAVORING RWY 14 AT ABOUT 12 KTS. THE OTHER ACFT WAS USING RWY 20. WE WERE IN CONSTANT RADIO CONTACT AND HAD EACH OTHER VISUALLY. SINCE I WAS APCHING FROM THE NW; I ELECTED TO DO A MODIFIED R BASE -- THAT ALMOST WORKED OUT AS A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 14. I DIDN'T FEEL THAT GOING AROUND THE ARPT AND DOING A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14 WAS A SMART IDEA WITH ANOTHER ACFT DOING A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 20. THE ACFT ON RWY 20 TOOK OFF AND WAS ACTUALLY DEPARTING THE PATTERN AS I TOUCHED DOWN ON RWY 14. LNDG ON RWY 14 INTO THE WIND WITH A C180; I NEVER EVEN GOT CLOSE TO RWY 20. ON SEP/XA/98 I WENT TO DEPART DODGE CITY. I MET AND TALKED TO THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT. I FOUND OUT WHY HE WAS SO ADAMANT ABOUT TELLING ME THAT THE TFC PATTERN WAS A L PATTERN. HE HAD AN FAA CHK AIRMAN WITH HIM WHO APPARENTLY THOUGHT I SHOULD ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 14. I'M AWARE OF FAR 91.126 AND ADVISORY CIRCULAR 90- 66A AND STILL FEEL THAT I MADE THE CORRECT AND SAFE DECISION ON RWY 14 AND PATTERN SELECTION.