REFLECTOR: Overhead approaches

[Stockman, Bill]

We do them a lot at Greene County (I19) due to significant contractor training of military pilots (flight surgeons) and we are an uncontrolled GA airport.    Our guys will do
them as part of their formation flight arrivals with up to four aircraft involved.
Having said that, it can cause a lot of confusion and should only be done when the pattern is empty since other aircraft will normally be clueless about OH patterns
and those aircraft without radios will not hear your explanatory calls on the Unicom.    We have had several incidences that came close to being collisions.
No offense to the "senior" velocitites, but most of the complaints at our airport come from the 60+ crowd in the older, slower aircraft .

Bill Stockman
Senior Associate
Dayton Aerospace, Inc.

937.426.4300  Office
937.369.4799  Cell
bill.stockman at daytonaero.com<mailto:bill.stockman at daytonaero.com>
www.daytonaero.com

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Geoff Gerhardt
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 9:36 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: REFLECTOR: Overhead approaches

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

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