RE: Changing flight pattern?
You take off and land into the wind. Sometimes this requires taking off and landing in two different directions. If there are a few planes in the air, you can yell out or discuss which way the pattern should be for everyone to fly.
when you're alone, do what you want. When it gets crowded, it is best to have an established pattern among all the present pilots. If the wind changes, just yell out "Switch Pattern Direction" or "Left to Right over the Runway" or something.
Discussing this with the safety officer is a very good idea. Everyone should be on the same page.