Standard Overhead Join

Do all of you use the Standard Overhead Join?

When flying into xxx I arrive from the Dead Side which has high ground so circuits are always carried out going away from that. I fly down to circuit height and fly the deadside to take up the extended centre line and start my approach.

Is this wrong? Should I approach using the Standard Overhead Join? I always call out positions etc and keep a lookout for traffic.

DME

From what I’ve read it varies as some airfields actually forbid overhead joins, some have dead side joins and others havestright in approaches. Various things can dictate what the particular airfield uses. Things like good neighbour policies to keep the noise over non residential areas as much as possible, having gliders/helicopters and fixed wing powered aircraft using opposite handed circuits meaning there is no dead side.

I’d say:

Over here the vast majority of airports are non-towered, so I try to keep my entry into the circuit as standard (for over here) as possible (along with making regular position reports). I cut out the overhead join if I know what runway I will be using ahead of time (ie I know the wind direction info or there is other traffic already using a specific runway).

If your aircraft has an HSI a good way to visualize your orientation to a runway is to adjust the course select indicator (the arrow) to align with the runway heading. I have found this to be a useful aid when approaching an unfamiliar airport.

Yeah, that’s what I’m doing. Joining the deadside downwind at 45 degress then turn base for an extended final for a straight in approach.

DME

FC — yes, it’s the ‘standard’ way of joining the circuit in the US.

Deano777, no problem. That’s just what I was looking for. I do find it safer flying ‘my way’ into that specific aerodrome as it keeps me away from traffic but when flying into an airfield I’ve not been to I’ll try your method of drawing the approach on my plog.

Cheers

DME

Know people who learnt to fly in America and they were all taught this 45 degree downwind joining thing Paul is talking about. However, I have never come across it in England – is it just an America practice?
Sorry to sound random, just curious.

When joining from the live side I join downwind at a 45 degree angle. When joining from the dead side I usually join crosswind over the recipricating threshold, at, or a little higher than circuit altitude. It really depends though on how much traffic is in the circuit and where that traffic is positioned (and most importantly, if I have visual contact with the traffic).

There’s one thing about the Standard Overhead Join that worries me.

It shepherds all incoming aircraft into one spot of airspace; 2000 feet, right above the centre of the airfield.

At Cambridge, we’re taught the overhead join initially, but quickly learn the importance of listening out to radio calls and developing your spatial awareness. Depending on how busy the inbound may be, or the direction you approach from, rather than join overhead we’re encouraged to think for ourselves and ask for crosswind, downwind, or base joins instead. That way, you’re joining at circuit height, from a specific direction, joining at a specific place in the circuit which you can see, and where others can see you. I also find it stops complacency; if your descent and approach is different every time, it makes you stay alert and aware of what’s around you.

On the occasions that Cambridge insist on the overhead join, I join deadside at 2000, descend deadside, cross the upwind end of the active at 1000 to join downwind. That way I have visibility of traffic in the downwind, while also having good visibility of anything climbing into the circuit on crosswind.

Steve

DME

Obviously if you are flying into an uncontrolled airfield then the Std Overhead Join is std practice, check your flight guide to see the variants.

I fly the join like this

If flying to the live side from my origin then I wil fly overhead at 2000ft AAL, crossing the landing threshold, I would then start my descent to 1000ft AAL (or whatever the circuit height is) once on deadside to fly downwind dead side, I would then fly crosswind to pass over the reciprocol rwy threshold at circuit height to join circuit crosswind on the live side then fly the std circuit pattern to land, obviously if I approach from the dead side like when I go to Gloucester I would descend deadside to circuit height before crossing the reciprocol rwy threshold for std circuit.
I think as long as you have a mental picture in your head before you depart then you should be fine, my instructor taught me to draw a diagram of the airfield on my plog in the shape of what I expect to see wen I arrive so you can visualise it in the air as well, I found this works well for somewhere like Gloucester as they have 6 rwys and orientating yourself can be a bit of a nightmare especially when its busy.

Hope this helps DME, sorry if I sound patronising in places but I thought Id explain from start to finish.

Dean