C182 PLT HAS AN NMAC ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN AT HFD.

Narrative

BOTH ACFT WERE CARRYING 2 PLTS AND 2 INSTRUCTORS; I BELIEVE. WE WERE APCHING RWY 2 ABOUT 2 MI N OF THE FIELD; AND WHEN ADJACENT TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 2; WE BEGAN A TURN TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND. WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALT; AND ABOUT TO CALL MIDFIELD; WE SAW AN ACFT AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AT OUR ALT ALSO ON DOWNWIND. WE CALLED TWR AND ASKED WHERE HE CAME FROM AND PERMISSION TO MAKE A 360 DEG FOR SPACING. THE ACFT WERE FLYING PARALLEL AT THE TIME AT THE SAME SPD; SO EVASIVE ACTION WASN'T NECESSARY. I FRANKLY DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED A CALL TO OR FROM THE TWR; OR IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS FLYING A NON-STANDARD PATTERN; OR IF THE OTHER ACFT DIDN'T MAKE A CALL; OR IF I SHOULD HAVE TURNED LATER. THE OTHER ACFT GAVE NO INDICATION THAT HE EVER SAW US. WHEN WE WERE APCHING EACH OTHER WHILE ENTERING DOWNWIND; WE WERE IN A L TURN; WHILE HE WAS IN A CLBING R TURN AFTER A TKOF; SO OUR TURN MIGHT HAVE BLOCKED OUR VISION OF HIM. FROM A HUMAN FACTORS STANDPOINT; WE WERE JUST FINISHING A SUCCESSFUL AND ENJOYABLE ANNUAL CHK RIDE; WITH THE INSTRUCTOR REQUESTING A PWR OFF APCH AND LNDG FROM THE BASE TURN ENTRY. WE WERE BOTH DISCUSSING THE PROC; AND WATCHING AN ACFT AHEAD OF US THAT TWR HAD ALERTED US TO. ALTHOUGH WE WERE SOMEWHAT DISTR; WE DID CLR DOWNWIND BEFORE TURNING; AND THERE WERE NO ACFT THAT WE SAW; NOR DID THE CTLR SAY ANYTHING THAT WE HEARD.