Overhead break

bc2209

bc2209

Well-Known Member
Today I was able to enjoy filing IFR and getting a little bit of actual which generally is a hot commodity in Phoenix, AZ.

The flight took my on down to Tucson, AZ which turned out to be quite a memorable experience. Breaking out of the clouds we soon landed and were holding short of 29R. The Air National Guard F-16 guys were out in full force landing about 6 deep. After they had taxi'd off the runway a giant 747 with Rolls-Royce painted up and down the side landed behind them, in which they would give way to us on taxi after exiting the runway....that made my day.

Why do the fighter types always request the overhead break? I also see this at KIWA. Is it due to the number in the flight?
 
The overhead break or initial is pretty standard practice on how military aircraft enter the pattern, it allows them to bleed energy off to configure for landing.
 
You can have a flight of 4 airplanes come in formation, well above 250 knots to the airfield, and they break and enter the pattern, perfectly spaced apart. It's a lot faster than spreading everyone out on an extended final.
 
The overhead has several purposes. Initially, it was used to allow high-performance fighters to bleed off energy quickly over the field to reduce to landing speed, thus negating the need to fly a long, slow straight-in approach. This is accomplished by the two tight, 180° turns, in which the speed and energy are traded for the forces generated in the turns. Nowadays there's yet another reason. The overhead allows aircraft, including transports, to keep high and fast over possibly hostile ground fire close in to the field, and then drop over the theoretically protected environment over the airfield using the overhead pattern to lose energy, speed, and altitude without unnecessarily long potential exposure to ground fire.
 
If you've ever done one you'd understand.

In all seriousness it's the most expeditious way for them to get on the ground. One guy I work with does one any time we land as a section. Most of his companies planes leak like crazy.
 
Just out of curiosity, how fast are those guys moving when they enter the break? I worked across from Oceana (while living next to Langley) for a few years, and sometimes it seemed like they were really hauling arse.
 
Well that's the problem with deviation from the recommended procedures.

Unless people are briefed it's the new norm they aren expecting it. And when you deviate from the norm to do your own thing the onus is on you to make sure everybody else both knows what the hell is going on and can accept it in their plan.

Be no different than to decide to drive on the left side of the road and just expect people to be ready and cool with it.


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bc2209 said:
Today I was able to enjoy filing IFR and getting a little bit of actual which generally is a hot commodity in Phoenix, AZ.

The flight took my on down to Tucson, AZ which turned out to be quite a memorable experience. Breaking out of the clouds we soon landed and were holding short of 29R. The Air National Guard F-16 guys were out in full force landing about 6 deep. After they had taxi'd off the runway a giant 747 with Rolls-Royce painted up and down the side landed behind them, in which they would give way to us on taxi after exiting the runway....that made my day.

Why do the fighter types always request the overhead break? I also see this at KIWA. Is it due to the number in the flight?
Click to expand...

Overhead maneuver is the standard pattern at military fields for jet aircraft. It's a quick way to enter the pattern and land, while still keeping the speeds up to a manageable level when not configured. 45 entry to a square pattern doesn't work for swept wing jets very well, much less a formation of them. My old 117 hated being slow, especially when clean since it has no lifting devices, as do most swept wings when compared to straight wings. AF fields also have two patterns: an inside downwind and an outside downwind. Pattern for the overhead is normally 1500 or 2000 AGL, vice the 1000 standard for the square pattern; but can be up to 3000 AGL. The inside downwind, or closed pattern, is the pattern that's entered after the break from initial and when preparing to make the 180 to final to land. The outside downwind is for pattern spacing and to set up for a straight-in following a a touch and go or low approach, or to come back around and re-enter intital without affecting the inside downwind.

As a sidenote, if IFR, you're automatically cancelled when you're cleared for initial and change to tower.
 
Timmy Tucker said:
Just out of curiosity, how fast are those guys moving when they enter the break? I worked across from Oceana (while living next to Langley) for a few years, and sometimes it seemed like they were really hauling arse.
Click to expand...

350 knots and 800' agl is SOP for the "carrier" break, either at the field or the boat. However, some places like Oceana have a pattern somewhere around a 1,500' for noise abatement. At the field, most people are probably 350 ish knots most of the time but at the boat all bets are off. It quickly becomes a competition to see how fast you can come in and how early you can break. With an open deck, 500-600 knots and breaking not later than the "round down" (stern) is not uncommon. A lot of civilian fields will give you the carrier break too, I think because the tower guys just like to see it.
 
Lawman said:
Well that's the problem with deviation from the recommended procedures.

Unless people are briefed it's the new norm they aren expecting it. And when you deviate from the norm to do your own thing the onus is on you to make sure everybody else both knows what the hell is going on and can accept it in their plan.

Be no different than to decide to drive on the left side of the road and just expect people to be ready and cool with it.


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Click to expand...
It's in the AIM and any civilian tower will give it to you.
 
C-182 flyer said:
350 knots and 800' agl is SOP for the "carrier" break, either at the field or the boat. However, some places like Oceana have a pattern somewhere around a 1,500' for noise abatement. At the field, most people are probably 350 ish knots most of the time but at the boat all bets are off. It quickly becomes a competition to see how fast you can come in and how early you can break. With an open deck, 500-600 knots and breaking not later than the "round down" (stern) is not uncommon. A lot of civilian fields will give you the carrier break too, I think because the tower guys just like to see it.
Click to expand...

I like the "carrier break" better. They pull back on the stick and go vertical, before quickly nosing over for the hard 180. At least that's what the Blue's due at the end of their show. Not sure it that is an official "carrier break" or not. But it looks cooler than the standard Air Force overhead break.
 
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