Just what is a standard overhead join?

[Genghis the Engineer]

This is getting to me, I turn up at an airfield, request an overhead join, am given it, fly what I believe to be the correct OHJ, and get a ticking off after I land. To take a few places:-

Old Sarum - 1500 ft, descend deadside, continue round to downwind. Verboten in the week cos it upsets BDN.

Chilbolton, From the North, 950ft, descend through the overhead and turn onto downwind.

Popham, 1500ft, descend wherever safe into the circuit.

White Waltham, 1300ft, ditto.

Shoreham, 2000ft, do not descend deadside, only downwind.

I like using an OHJ, especially when visiting a strange airfield because it gives me a good look at it. But what exactly is this mythical "standard overhead join", is it written down somewhere, or is it whatever the local management think it is (but don't actually publish in Pooleys)?

I think we should be told....

G

[poetpilot]

I've always taken it to be "standard" for that site!

Barton is 1500 on the MAN QNH, descend deadside turning in same direction as circuit down to 800ft on the QFE by which time you should be passing over the top of the upwind end of the active (at right angles) on your crosswind leg.

But you're right it differs for each place - I thought the default was as for Barton but 2000 feet overhead, 1000 feet circuit on the QFE.

But I only thought that.....

[PPRuNe Dispatcher]

G,

All I can say is what I'm being taught at WW. And apologies in advance to my (excellent) instructor if I've got this wrong....

I need to know five things in advance :
QFE
Height to join overhead.
Height in the ciruit.
Runway in use.
Circuit direction.

I arrive overhead the airfield at overhead height and call "Joining overhead". I make all turns in the direction of the circuit and keep the airfield on that side, i.e. if it's a RH circuit I can always see the airfield on my right. So what this means if that for example 29 is in use and it's a righthand ciruit, I'll arrive on the left side of the airfield as I see it so that I can see it on my right.

Once I'm happy, which hopefully is fairly soon after I'm overhead, I fly directly over the downwind numbers (right angles to runway direction) at overhead circuit height towards the dead side. Normally this means that what I've done is to fly over the airfield, turning as necessary, maybe just overflying, maybe 720 degrees (i.e. orbit!) if I've got brainfade and need to think. This is all at "join" height. "Don't forget to check the signals square, Mik".

Once on the deadside I call "descending deadside" and descend to circuit height, turning back towards the airfield. The turn is made in circuit direction.

I then look at the downwind leg (which is on the other side of the airfield), and aim to fly over the upwind numbers (90 degrees to runway direction) at circuit height to slot into the circuit. This may mean turning to go behind another aircraft in the downwind leg as they have priority.

Once I'm on the downwind leg I call downwind, make the BUMFICHH check etc.

Sounds complicated, but at the end of the day I remember two golden rules :
Make all turns in the circuit direction.
Keep the airfield on the circuit-direction side.

Despite my best efforts I haven't screwed up a join at WW yet.

--Mik

[Genghis the Engineer]

Dispatcher, my whinge, such as it is, is the lack of standardisation (or published information). WW is actually one of the more clear and straightforward places, but I've been given a ticking off for descending deadside - as you've been taught to do, at another airfield.

In my opinion, the best way to join a strange airfield is overhead, but this is a bit difficult if different airfields insist (a) on their own variation, (b) without publishing it.

G

[Fuji Abound]

I know it is not the point of your discussion, but to avoid confussion I wouldn't go joining into downwind from the overhead at Shoreham, the descent is always deadside to circuit height (1100 ft) and then into the crosswind.

[DB6]

Standard overhead join: join overhead the runway threshold at 1000' above circuit height, flying towards the dead side. Descend on the dead side (calling 'deadside descending'), turning in the circuit direction, to cross the upwind threshold at circuit height and then fit in with circuit traffic downwind, generally behind them. That said, I haven't seen it written down anywhere outside the military but it's what we teach future RAF pilots so it's good enough for me. Anything other than 1000' above circuit height would therefore be non-standard, as would descending anywhere other than on the dead side, and should presumably be highlighted as such.

[ 15 September 2001: Message edited by: DB6 ]

[Kermit 180]

I would be very surprised if the procedure wasnt promulgated somewhere in the depths of paper rules and guides available for reference. In NZ the overhead joining procedure is detailed in a document called the Planning Manual which is part of the NZ Aeronautical Information Publication (NZAIP). Surely there is an equivalent to this in the UK. A flight instructor should be able to refer you to the appropriate document.

[Code Blue]

Canadian AIP (RAC 4.5.2) stipulates overhead join at uncontrolled airfields and defines it quite clearly.

FYI:
Cross midfield at 500' above circuit height descending on upwind side (your deadside) and recrossing midfield at circuit height to join mid downwind. This can mean some too-ing and fro-ing if your arrival path takes you over the upwind side initially. Circuit height is standard 1000'agl and circuits left handed unless stipulated differently in CFS under PRO section.

With a modest number of NORDO a/c here, I have found it prudent to be obsessional about following this rule for the last 2 years or so.

I would be surprised if the UK CAA doesn't have something definitive in print - it seems to for pretty much everything else :D

[carbheatcold]

My understanding of the deadside join is as DB6 describes. Lets face it at an airfield with no more than A/G radio you rely on everyone else following the 'standard' approach procedures, where not constrained by other problems ie airspace etc, to minmise incidents. The main advantage of the OHJ is as already stated that it also gives you a chance to have a look at the airfield first, might save embarassment!!

[FlyingForFun]

I believe that different countries have different "standard overhead joins" - which is why Code Blue and DB6 describe slightly different procedures.

Certainly the way DB6 describes it is the way I've been taught (in the UK), although several airfields I know of modify the procedure, usually due to airspace restrictions.

FFF
---------

[Final 3 Greens]

I believe that the US has the best join, the 45 to downwind.

It avoids all the confusion that exists about OHJs.

If you need to have a look at the airfield first, you can overfly (avoidng any zone) and then position to join downwind.

Shame we don'y have this in the UK.

[hugh flung_dung]

Genghis: There seems to have been a misunderstanding whilst you were at Old Sarum and I'm surprised if Shoreham (or anywhere else) want you to descend downwind as this is potentially unsafe.

When Boscombe aren't operating you can use any join (preferably not straight in) including a standard o'head join (2000ft above, descend deadside (turns in same direction as cct) to cross over the upwind end of the runway at circuit height and turn onto downwind).

When Boscombe are operating enter the MATZ via Alderbury at 1100ft QNH (OS circuit height) to either join left base for 24 or downwind for 06.

AFAIK this info is in the AIP and Pooleys.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Pooleys (OS): "When the MATZ is not active, standard overhead join procedures and circuit joins may be used".

I did my PPL at OS and was taught (not recently I'll admit) to join at 1500 QFE and descend downwind !

G

[samson.]

DB6 and PPrune Dispatcher have it exactly right... to add my opinion, I was taught to use FARRT checks for the join -

Fuel pump on
Altimeter set to correct QFE
Radio call made
Runway correctly identified
Transponder off.

Obviously for some aircraft, these can be abbreviated to ARRT.

The recovery checks should take care of these things, but I always use these checks as well just before joining, and that minimises the chance for cock-ups. Particularly with Old Sarum (with the circuit changing according to Boscombe), it is a good idea to visualise whether the circuit is North/South/East or West - ie 26RH would be a circuit to the North.

All this may seem a bit anal, but when visiting a new field, or even an old one that you feel familiar with, it is worth doing!

Samson.

[ 17 September 2001: Message edited by: samson. ]

[Aussie Andy]

FARRT checks!?! I love it!

Andy :)

[samson.]

Ahhh... well you won't forget them now, will you?

[Aussie Andy]

UK Overhead join is described in Safety Sense Leaflet 6C "Aerodrome Sense" - see http://www.srg.caa.co.uk/includes/ga/06cleafl.pdf

Andy

[QNH 1013]

Thanks for the info A Andy but unfortunately the CAA safety sense leaflets aren't an official definition of anything. They are certainly useful publications, and well worth reading, but it is important to remember that the author occassionally stated opinion as if it were fact.
I regret, that I cannot find a definition of a "Standard Overhead Join" in the Air Navigation Order. I'm not saying that there isn't one, just that I haven't found it.
I congratulate the originators of this thread for asking the question. I hope someone can find an official definition, then at least we will all be trying to do the same thing.
My personal opinion is that overhead joins often make good sense at strips with no radio or for non-radio aircraft but at airfields with radio I don't think they enhance safety at all. Just my opinion.

[The Flying I]

I just shuddered when I read of pilots being taught to descend to circuit height whilst on the downwind leg. What about aircraft already there doing circuits? My aircraft doesn't have a glass floor (perhaps it should have). Downwind descents are probably ok for preachers in motorised parachutes, (reference to some strange happenings at O.S. a little while ago), but not good practice for aircraft, surely...??? Do people really do this???

[bcfc]

I've managed to get my PPL plus a handful of hours without ever doing an OHJ...for no other reason that I've never needed to. I can see their value at new or non-radio airfield so will go out an practice pronto but if its not part of the PPL, I guess the powers that be don't think it a standard proceedure.

[Aussie Andy]

There seems to be an idea around that the US system of joining 45 degrees to the downwind leg is somewhow simpler/safe/clearer than ours.... yet it seems from an article on Avweb that this is far from the case!

The article describes its own "homebrew" join that the author has been using for years with success... with the implication being that other people are using other techniques. So the situation over there is no better - possibly worse.

Take a look at http://www.avweb.com/articles/patterns.html

Andy

[foghorn]

And what's more it seems that this guy's conclusion is that a join similar to the UK standard overhead join (albeit slightly modified to meet the US 45 degree requirement) is the safest.

Funny that. Give me an overhead join anytime.

cheers!
foggy.

[Aussie Andy]

Here Here! I agree - OHJ's let you get a good look and get your bearings when unfamiliar with the field you are arriving at.

[DOC.400]

There's no F in ART?

The above make an overhead join one!

Go with PD and DB6, but fly the join in your head b4 if u can, and keep a damn good lookout in the overhead. Like VRP's, one persons location in 'overhead', 'deadside' etc can be quite different to another. How many times have you called overhead to be followed seconds later by another 'overhead' call -where the HELL is he? PANIC and much head swivelling. Plus reluctance of some pilots to give position check when asked. Usually not overhead but coming up to it.......

[foxmoth]

I concur with DB6 et al on what constitutes a standard OHJ, but a point everyone seems to have missed here is that you should ALLWAYS check on local procedures before going to an unfamiliar airfield - and if you have not done so (ie because you were going somewhere else and had to divert) ASK. If you are in this situation non radio and NEED to go in, have a good think about the surrounding airspace try to stay as near standard as possible and keep a GOOD lookout, then expect to have to discuss it on the ground, if you are in a situation, most fields are very understanding.
Many fields have local variations, usually for good reasons.

[Hooligan Bill]

QNH 1013 + Others,

The definition of a "Standard Overhead Join" can be found in the UK AIP Gen Pg 3-3-4 para 5.5.2. (Standard Overhead Join). Any other type of overhead join can not be described as "Standard". At units with full ATC, the Manual of Air Traffic Services Part 1, specifies that any variance in the above procedure must be published in local operating instructions and the phraseology "Standard Overhead join" MUST not be used. :)

[PPRuNe Dispatcher]

Note that the UK AIP is online at www.ais.org.uk (http://www.ais.org.uk) It's one of the most useful things on the 'net.

The section on overhead joins is at http://www.ais.org.uk/uk_aip/pdf/gen/10303.pdf

---Mik

[CaptAirProx]

To do a standard overhead join you have got to understand what it is there for. It is a manoeuvre designed to get you into the circuit that has no active RT, or you don't have a radio. Remember airlaw, you must get two-way comms with the field before entering the ATZ and then follow circuit direction and traffic. If you can't get two way comms you must enter the circuit following the circuit that is in use giving way to other circuit traffic.

Therefore you MUST join overhead at 2000' agl so that you are not in the ATZ until you have assertained the circuit direction and can comply with it. Then descend deadside to join crosswind at the upwind threshold at circuit height. Always giving way to current circuit traffic.

Genghis, these other joins can only be described as non-standard overhead joins published particularly for that field. Airspace restrictions etc. These are not the default standard joins as mentioned above.

Also remember to join the crosswind leg ABOVE the upwind threshold so that you will hopefully not infringe departing traffic below you on the climb out AND any pilot downwind, hearing you call joining cross wind, will know where to exactly look to find you. A lot of pilots join mid downwind from the field overhead and frighten the S... out of me as the turn their arse in front of me cutting me up.

If we all stuck to the standard at fields with no other published overhead join we would all know where to look for each other. That is what I believe it was designed for.

[Hooligan Bill]

Capt AirProx,

I believe that the original purpose of an overhead join, was it is the only way you could actually properly read the signal square and get all the info you required for fitting safely into the traffic pattern etc.

[QNH 1013]

Hooligan Bill, Many thanks for the reference. That is just what I was looking for. I also notice that the "Downwind" call is mandatory with an OHJ.

[White Shadow]

There's an interesting letter from John Lewis, Isle of White, on P.43 of the Autumn issue of Flight Safety Bulletin.
He says -
"Circuits and the ATZ are the worst places for air misses, so avoid them. On departure, climb away as quick as you can above arriving traffic. On arrival, get below departing traffic and land. Straight in is safest, joining base leg is next best, etc. As you enter, slow down, lights on, look out and broadcast your position as much as good manners permit "
"The 2000' overhead join is dreadful."
And he goes on to explain why.
Discuss?

Happy landings
WS

[Genghis the Engineer]

An interesting thought, when it finally arrives I shall peruse my FSB carefully. I suspect the real answer is "it depends" !

If you are pitching up to a small grass strip with no radio or only an AFIS, I defend to the death my right to fly an OHJ. JL's point is probably valid at a busy training site such as, for example, Booker.

G

[White Shadow]

For them as don't see Flight Safety Bulletin, this goes on -
"The 2000" overhead join is dreadful. As you approach, departing traffic climbs through your level with the view ahead obscured by the cowling. Then you manoeuvre repeatedly in the crowded airspace, changing altitude near other aircraft with vertical blind spots as large as your own. And you have to endure this dangerous environment for an age.
Don't do it"

Hm
WS

[White Shadow]

Me too, Genghis.
WS

[Wycombe]

Don't anybody ask me to explain the joining procedures at my home airfield, it'll take a very long time!!

All the stuff you see in Pooleys for Wycombe is because there is no deadside (due gliders and tugs on that side). I'm used to it, but for visiting pilots (especially inexperienced ones), it can be a bit of a handful - and the ATZ can be very busy.

Also, we have the strangest shaped circuit on 25 that you've ever seen....due to Nimbys (a few famous ones aswell!) that were not aware there has been an airfield on the site since WW2!

Still, it is good to have "proper" Air Traffic, and they are very quick to offer base joins and straight-in's when it's quiet.

Cheers,
EGTB