REFLECTOR: Overhead approaches

[Terrence Miles]

Geoff,

Overheads are fun.  No doubt about that.  Back in 1968 when I was in USAF
pilot school we normally came in at a 45 to be lined up and 3 to 5 miles out
or what was called the initial point.   The tower will expect you to be VFR
pattern altitude, but you can ask for anything.  Be sure to ask for left
traffic.   180 KIAS is good for an initial speed.  Try both 60/2G vice
45/1.5 G pitch outs and notice your lateral displacement from the runway and
speed at rollout.   If you do a 2 G pitch out, plan to cheat at first on the
downwind heading.  This is pretty tight in.  Also, having your eyes inside
the cockpit to make a perfect 60 degree bank turn and stay LEVEL in the
pitchout is a recipe for a traffic pattern mid air.   Word to the wise.
Teach yourself in a practice area with a friend to watch outside.  A good
pitchout is just a maneuver to set up for a good stable perch point.or I was
taught.

 

First let me stick in here that there are lots of other reasons why not to
do overhead patterns all that often, and not to do them into Saturday
morning Fly In airfields.  Whether in the pattern or maneuvering out 5 miles
away, you will be doing 150% of everybody else's forward speed.   When I get
below 2500 AGL it is too damn bumpy most days and too crowded.  A tower
operated field with no one else in the pattern would be the safest
environment.both conditions are highly recommended if you have dependent
children.   Check the internet on this topic, I am sure there's yahoo
youtubes and there's tragic NTSB reports to pull you either way.  Tell the
tower guy you are practicing.  They'd like to know.  There have been
numerous traffic pattern accidents in high perf GA airplanes due over bank
stalls on final.  

 

While most any dog or his cousin can ham-hand an airplane perch-to-flare and
make a landing out of it, to do so with grace is great art, and takes
practice.   If you want old guy advice,  it is beauty to see grace from
perch to flare.  As my own compromise to this, this portion of an overhead
pattern can be sometimes available from a box pattern without the risk to
traffic or disruption to fellow airspace users not familiar with this
maneuver or how to accommodate you while they plan their approach to the
same field.   

 

If you are the only one in the pattern one day, try finding your  "perch
point" which is subject to pattern winds but will allow you to consistently
maneuver to a point 200-300 AGL on final and from there to a fixed touchdown
point.  Here's the cook book:  First get yourself 5 seconds to the perch.
Be wings level, unaccelerated, on airspeed 90 -95, and altitude.   Drop the
nose, set the power to min (not idle), attempt a near constant (less than
45) bank angle (use your rudders too watch the ball).  The goal is
consistency in bank, pitch, and speed.  Be wings level  on final, 200 to 300
AGL and 90 kts or whatever hgt and spd you choose.   Trust me, you will have
to back up and do this several times to create a stable, repeatable "at the
perch" situation and a stable "just off the perch" situation.   Imagine a
readout of VVI, rate of turn, and airspeed.  The goal is to minimize
fluctuations in these values so each approach looks like the next.      

 

I am not a risk taker.  If there is any doubt, don't be belly up to final
approach traffic all the way around this turn.  Add a quick roll-out glance
for the wife and kids.   Me?  I am still practicing after 45 years.  On calm
days with no gusts, I am out there just so I can't blame the wind.  Life
gets no better than this.  

Terry

  

 

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Geoff Gerhardt
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 8:36 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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