REHughes
Active Member
How About Calling It "Upwind Entry" Instead of "Overhead" Or "Break"
The pros and cons of the Overhead Entry pattern have been discussed productively in several threads recently. The military selects this pattern primarily in response to the requirement that:
"Interval with the aircraft landing in front of you must be established by timing your turn from Upwind to Downwind."
This requirement is generated from the Prime Directive:
"Every landing aircraft must start its approach turn (from Downwind to Landing) at exactly the same spot in relation to the touchdown zone, every time."
This is why the 45-To-Downwind is is the absolute worst way to enter a pattern. By the time the entering pilot identifies the downwind and crosswind-turning traffic in front of him, his choice is to raggedly fit in, sometimes on a hazardous parallel course, or do an even more hazardous 360-Turn at co-altitude with other aircraft coming down the 45 degree entry line. The inevitable result is a long line of aircraft on extended downwinds performing what are essentially dangerous Straight-In approaches.
The Crosswind entry has many advantages in this regard, and apparently, according to some COPA articles, in Canada it has become the de-facto standard entry at many non-towered fields. The pilot has a much better view of the overall traffic situation, including aircraft taking off and starting their crosswind turn. If the pilot sees conflicting traffic, it is easy to turn Upwind and wait for the correct interval to open up, and then do the Crosswind turn to the Downwind. Note that this turn-to-Upwind then results in exactly the same the pattern as seen by an aircraft doing an Overhead at this point in the pattern.
An entry to the overhead at our field goes something like this:
Fly to a point 3 miles or so Downwind from the intended landing runway (If you call this point the "Initial", most civilian pilots will not know what you mean, but a call such as " XXTraffic, RV 24Foxtrot, three miles South, will enter Upwind for 36, XX" will generally be clearly understood. If a gaggle of airplanes is approaching the field, the various individuals and formation groups can start to "pre-space" themselves in a line coming in from the 3-mile point.
As you approach the field, align yourself slightly to the Non-Pattern side of the Runway, offset just enough to be able to see the aircraft holding short, taking off, and climbing out. The optimal altitude to use as you enter the Upwind is the subject of fairly heated opinions, but it should be close to Pattern Altitude, perhaps up to 200' above it.
As you proceed upwind alongside the landing runway, be sure to scan off to the non-pattern side to check for any traffic setting up for a Crosswind Entry, and check for aircraft climbing out, turning crosswind, already established on Downwind, or coming down the 45.
If you cannot establish a suitable interval on the other traffic (or if for some reason you find it desirable to switch to another runway) just keep motoring Upwind and leave the pattern to fly away and start the whole entry over again.
Most of us who have had a fair amount of time using the Overhead or Break recognize the many advantages of the approach, especially at busy non-towered fields. It is certainly the best way to bring a formation into the field (Do you really want to chance circling on the 45 entry line with a 4-plane?).
Using the terminology of "Upwind Entry" and explaining it to your local pilot buddies as "just another point to enter the pattern" makes the Overhead procedure much more intuitive for most pilots trained in Civilian flight schools and removes the arcane definitions.
Regards,
Hawkeye Hughes
RV-3, Skyote
The pros and cons of the Overhead Entry pattern have been discussed productively in several threads recently. The military selects this pattern primarily in response to the requirement that:
"Interval with the aircraft landing in front of you must be established by timing your turn from Upwind to Downwind."
This requirement is generated from the Prime Directive:
"Every landing aircraft must start its approach turn (from Downwind to Landing) at exactly the same spot in relation to the touchdown zone, every time."
This is why the 45-To-Downwind is is the absolute worst way to enter a pattern. By the time the entering pilot identifies the downwind and crosswind-turning traffic in front of him, his choice is to raggedly fit in, sometimes on a hazardous parallel course, or do an even more hazardous 360-Turn at co-altitude with other aircraft coming down the 45 degree entry line. The inevitable result is a long line of aircraft on extended downwinds performing what are essentially dangerous Straight-In approaches.
The Crosswind entry has many advantages in this regard, and apparently, according to some COPA articles, in Canada it has become the de-facto standard entry at many non-towered fields. The pilot has a much better view of the overall traffic situation, including aircraft taking off and starting their crosswind turn. If the pilot sees conflicting traffic, it is easy to turn Upwind and wait for the correct interval to open up, and then do the Crosswind turn to the Downwind. Note that this turn-to-Upwind then results in exactly the same the pattern as seen by an aircraft doing an Overhead at this point in the pattern.
An entry to the overhead at our field goes something like this:
Fly to a point 3 miles or so Downwind from the intended landing runway (If you call this point the "Initial", most civilian pilots will not know what you mean, but a call such as " XXTraffic, RV 24Foxtrot, three miles South, will enter Upwind for 36, XX" will generally be clearly understood. If a gaggle of airplanes is approaching the field, the various individuals and formation groups can start to "pre-space" themselves in a line coming in from the 3-mile point.
As you approach the field, align yourself slightly to the Non-Pattern side of the Runway, offset just enough to be able to see the aircraft holding short, taking off, and climbing out. The optimal altitude to use as you enter the Upwind is the subject of fairly heated opinions, but it should be close to Pattern Altitude, perhaps up to 200' above it.
As you proceed upwind alongside the landing runway, be sure to scan off to the non-pattern side to check for any traffic setting up for a Crosswind Entry, and check for aircraft climbing out, turning crosswind, already established on Downwind, or coming down the 45.
If you cannot establish a suitable interval on the other traffic (or if for some reason you find it desirable to switch to another runway) just keep motoring Upwind and leave the pattern to fly away and start the whole entry over again.
Most of us who have had a fair amount of time using the Overhead or Break recognize the many advantages of the approach, especially at busy non-towered fields. It is certainly the best way to bring a formation into the field (Do you really want to chance circling on the 45 entry line with a 4-plane?).
Using the terminology of "Upwind Entry" and explaining it to your local pilot buddies as "just another point to enter the pattern" makes the Overhead procedure much more intuitive for most pilots trained in Civilian flight schools and removes the arcane definitions.
Regards,
Hawkeye Hughes
RV-3, Skyote
