REFLECTOR: Overhead approaches

[Richard J. Gentil]

Geoff,

Personally I like the long approach to the airport gradually reducing the power to cool the engine. 

The OHA approach is carrying cruise power or better then going to flight idle to a landing. 

While it might be a fun maneuver, probably not be best for your engine and the people on the ground will probably label you as Geoff "Hotdog" Gerhardt. 

I figure you can get away with it in an RG a lot easier then in an FG since you have so much more drag with the gear down and locked. 

Just my $0.02

Richard

Sent from my iPhone 4 Classic

On Sep 17, 2012, at 9:36 PM, Geoff Gerhardt <geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com> wrote:

> Guys,
> 
> I'm sure you guys have seen this video of a Cirrus doing an overhead approach.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFdH4zvO9Oo
> 
> Looks like a cool way to get into the pattern.  I can't tell you what a smile it puts on my face descend in at 160kts then pull up and drop speed to enter the pattern after so many years of crawling into the airport airspace in C172/PA28's.  I'd love to be able to do an overhead approach.  What got me thinking about them was this weekend, there was a warbird show on at our airport (KORH) and as I was approaching the airport, I heard one of them call the tower for a overhead approach and listened to him call his initial, break point then cleared to land - very cool.  Also, I like the idea of coming into the airport with all possible kinetic and potential energy at your disposal in case an engine issue.  Long, slow, level entries into airport airspace always make me nervous.
> 
> A couple questions for those more seasoned pilots on overhead approaches:
> 1) Is it considered douchey to do an OHA at a non-towered airport (assuming you properly announce)?
> 2) Can you only approach the airport on the runway heading, or can you come in from any angle, break and establish a high-bank turn until your able to enter the downwind?
> 3) Do any of you regularly use OHA's?
> 4) Do you usually come in at pattern altitude +500'?
> 
> Geoff
> 
> _______________________________________________
> To change your email address, visit http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> 
> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20120917/bde8ada1/attachment.html>