Originally Posted by tonyhalsall
I believe that the crossing of the numbers to downwind is now an accident waiting to happen with the much higher climb performance of modern kit and microlight type aircraft.
Only if you do it with your eyes shut, surely? - I, at least, was taught that part of the point of the overhead join was to watch what was going on on the runway.
(It's not just modern GA aircraft that can take off through the crossing point - an empty Tristar (I think it was) can do it too, which is why ATC held one until I'd finished crossing overhead the runway. Probably my most expensive rejoin ever - for someone else
.)