Revision 3 - Changes :: Marine/Navy Break removed, new Overhead pattern picture

FIRST A LITTLE THEORY

The overhead is the pattern of choice for all USAF fast movers. It is also the preferred method for ATC controllers. You can get the max number of jets on the ground, the fastest, save the most gas, etc....It is easier for the tower to control and as pilots, it becomes intuitive.

My students learn this during the first block of training. I fly this pattern probably 20 times a day, flying three sorties. It is our bread and butter. For the studs it is difficult, but they soon master it. After a while you fly an overhead like you park your car. It is natural.

I will describe a generic overhead for all fast movers. Realize there are caveats to it: Emergencies, tactical formations, tactical arrivals among others.

INITIAL

The overhead begins at initial. How you get to initial varies. It could be VFR (you basically fly yourself there), via radar vectors (typical in USAF peacetime) or some local arrival procedure, also very common.

The initial point is typically 4-5 miles from the approach (the end you are flying to) end of the runway. Local conditions may dictate otherwise and every base would modify this somewhat based on several factors: hospitals,schools, population, weapon's storage areas you can't fly over etc.)

Arrive on initial at 1500 feet AGL. So if field elevation is 200 feet you would fly 1700 on your altimeter. You will fly 300 knots on runway heading,
1500 agl and fly over the runway. In the US we have a rule that says unless you are in special use airspace (MOA'S, weapons ranges restricted areas) the max speed you can fly under 10,000 feet is 250 indicated. US fighters have a waiver to go 300. DON'T GET A SPEEDING TICKET! Yes it may seem boring to fly 300 knots straight and level for 4-5 miles but we do it.

THE BREAK

The break is where the fun begins. The break zone is usually around the first 3000 feet of runway length. Kinda hard to tell this in the game, much easier in the jet, so I just use half way down. You can break anywhere in this break zone. I tell my studs to wait to the end, traffic
permitting to give them more time to configure.

The break is a LEVEL 60 degree, 2-3g turn, rolling out 180 from runway heading. You want to displace yourself about 3/4 of a mile from the runway, no wind.

(TECHNIQUE)

Flying is more art than science and there are MANY ways to get the jet to go where you want it (I always have to remind my studs to be a pilot, not a passenger!) Some guys may lower the speedbrake in the break, some may wait until you roll out. Some go to idle, some back to 80%. It depends how aggressive you are. If you break "Over the numbers", you are going to have a harder time getting configured so you may want idle/speed brake.

INSIDE DOWNWIND

This point, after roll out is Inside Downwind. Every jet has a minimum speed for inside downwind. I don't know what the F-16s is so I just use 200. Your goal is to be configured, trimmed up, ready to perch. DON 'T GET SLOW. This is taboo. Be careful not to drift one way or another. Pick a point off the nose and fly to it. Don't forget to get your gear DOWN.

(True Fact) The guys in my job who tend to land gear up (happens about once a year) are not students. It is usually a solo IP! CRUNCH.

THE PERCH

The perch is where the final turn begins. It is a 180 descending turn using around 1500 feet per minute decent. Your goal is to arrive on ½ mile final. A typical perch point is about when the approach end is 45 degrees off your shoulder. I tell my studs to use the rank on their shoulder. I use the aft portion of the missile rail in the game.

THE FINAL TURN

The final turn is probably the scariest portion of training for us IP's . It us usually between 30-45 degrees of bank. The speed you fly is based on your weight. I just use 175 for the game. Probably a little fast in reality. You are flying to a roll out point ½ mile from the end. I constantly say "airspeed, rollout point and aimpoint" over and over until they get the hang of it.

FINAL

Whew! The hard part is over, now you just slow to final airspeed (again, based on weight, I start at 155 and and adjust to the green doughnut (AOA indicator). Now just land. Simple, huh?

FATAL ERRORS

a.. Getting too slow on inside downwind. If you perch too slow and don't recognize it, you will be very close to your stall margin.

b.. Getting to SLOW in the final turn. Pull too much, stall, die.

c.. Overshooting final and racking the jet up. Stall speed increases greatly as bank increases. Too much bank = less lift = stall and die

d.. Undershooting final raising the nose to shallow out. Too slow = stall = die.

See a trend here?

ATC CALLS

Usually you will tell ATC you want vectors to initial. They will give them to you and tell you to report initial with tower. After arriving there, and switching there you would usually say "CALL SIGN-Initial" I.e. Claw 1 initial". If you are at an out base or a place that does not have fighters you might add the distance- "Claw 1, 5 mile initial"

Unless there is traffic tower will usually say "Claw 1, cleared to break your discretion." The next radio call in fighter lingo is made during the final turn. "Claw 1, base, gear, stop." Meaning Claw 1, base leg (final turn), gear down full stop. If you want a touch and go you just don't say stop. Tower will respond, Claw 1 cleared to land, cleared touch and go, or the most common, cleared the option, which means you can either go around, touch and go, or full stop.

FORMATIONS

The overhead is designed for multiple jets. You can have as many 4 ships as you want 30 seconds apart. Lead will usually break over the numbers, two will go 5 seconds later, etc. The timing is less important than watching leads rate of pull. If he pulls hard, you need to go sooner. If he pulls a lazy break, you need to ease off. This is important to maintain proper spacing. I tell my studs to go when he is abeam the wing.

Again, there are caveats to this, but this is the generic overhead.

- Chuck / F4UT

The Overhead Break

by Lt. Mouse and Maj. Jester - 87th Stray Dogs

This is the pattern used by highly maneuverable aircraft such as fighters. The primary reason this pattern is used is because when fighter aircraft have to land near hostile territory, the last thing they want to do is fly an ILS approach, where they are low and slow for 10-15 miles. This would make it too easy for someone on the ground to fire at it. In peacetime, the pattern is also good because it is more efficient (can handle a lot of aircraft) and faster (aircraft can conduct more approaches in a shorter amount of time) than the standard rectangular pattern.

The overhead pattern is called such because aircraft enter the pattern by flying overhead the runway. This is called "initial". The aircraft at initial fly directly over the runway (in the same direction of the runway in use) at approximately 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL). In real life the tower controller would give them pattern altitude and the direction of their turn, if they are not familiar with the airport. When the aircraft reaches the approach end of the runway, it can make a steep turn to enter "inside downwind". This turn is referred to as "break" turn, and is usually made before the aircraft gets half way down the runway. However, the controller can tell the pilot where to "break" if it helps with sequencing and traffic flow (see examples below).

The aircraft then enters "inside downwind", which is a parallel path approx 1/4 - 1/2 mile from the runway. The aircraft is still at 1,500 feet AGL and is slowing down in preparation for landing. When he passes a point that is past the approach end of the runway, the pilot will turn "base". This is similar to a rectangular pattern "base", but its more aggressive and the aircraft is losing a lot more altitude over a short distance.

The pilot will then line up approx 1/2 mile from the runway on "short final" and prepare to land, do a touch-and-go, etc.

Standard Overhead pattern and landing:

A) Flight passes initial (point 3 miles extended runway centerline) at 1500` with flight-members in "echelon" (= all to one side; in this case the right side). Std speed = 300 kts (but might vary).

B) Lead breaks "over the numbers"(= over the beginning of the runway) then performs a right turn at 60 degrees angle of bank to downwind while retarding the throttle to IDLE, this should slow the aircraft down to about 230-250 knots on downwind..

B2) Wingmen take 3-4 seconds spacing each then perform exactly as lead does (count slowly!, REAL seconds).

Each flight member slows to final-turn speed (+/- 20 kts above final aproach speed, should be roughly 180 knots).

C) Approaching "the perch" (= turning poin to final; defined by an immaginairy line 45 degrees behind to the beginning of the runway) each flight member lowers the landing gear and extends speedbrakes. Start the final turn at the "perch" (ALL must use the same turning point, not to mess up the spacing!). Plan the angle of bank (AOB) so that you reach final at a point opposite the "perch".

D) Make the landing on the upwind-side, called "hot lane" (= "the side where the crosswind blows from"; this will be called out by the leader: "left lane, hot lane"). It is important NOT to brake to hard, to avoid pile-up on the runway. In fact, the lead would not use his brakes at all; 2 a bit, 3 a bit more, ect.

E) When speed is "under control" (close to taxi speed) switch to the "cold lane" (you guessed it: in this case the right lane)

IF your spacing for landing is NOT enough, go around ("3, short final going around") and pull up at the departure end for another overhead pattern.

" The reason for the "hot-lane procedure" is to cater for abnormal situations as brake failure, blown tire s, etc. The effected fighter is always able to overtake the guy in front without the danger of a collission.I guess you could look at it this way: the hot lane is our runway and the cold lane the taxiway.

A nice variation to this procedure is the "Battle Break":

Instead of approaching from initial at the pattern altitude, the formation descends to a lower (usually 500`, but sometimes very low height above the runway with plenty of "smash" (about 500 knots) and breaks to downwind after initiating a "pull-up" in the vertical first then banking outwards towards the closed downwind (momentarily overshooting the pattern altitude is acceptable). Hence, the aircraft is flown to a normal closed-downwind position for the overhead pattern.

Wing Commanders hate this procedure for the extra risk and noise it brings with it. Fighter pilots however, LOVE it for some unknown reason! (even though they`re warned time and time again that it "will NOT be tolerated next time".