Quote:
Someone coming in for an overhead join (might be a non-radio aircraft) might be concentrating on sorting out their circuit pattern and planning the descent onto the deadside....
I would hope that somebody on an overhead join would actually be in the ATZ, while people on an overhead transit would be above. Or, at least, somebody transiting overhead would not do so at the overhead join altitude.
You're missing the point. An aircraft arriving at an airfield for an overhead join has first to enter the ATZ in order to do it. This normally involves a descent at some stage. Unless, of course the transit altitude had been at or below the altitude of the ATZ.
I've seen a number of "close shaves" in the overhead of airfields, all of them caused by pilots not noticing other aircraft in the vicinity and a lack of communication.
Are you therefore suggesting that pilots transitting overhead don't need to call the airfield as long as they are above the ATZ?