Sat Jul 31, 2021 1:48 pm
#1862230
I agree with @Irv Lee 's comments, but as well as this, the thing that troubles me is simply the enormous size of the manoeuvre. Also, if the drawn line represents the aircraft track, then other than a moment at the SE corner, at no time is the aircraft actually overhead the airfield.
This makes it difficult for aircraft to see each other at a time where it is very important to be able to do so - joining a potentially busy circuit and managing relative spacing.
Here's one of my OHJ's - from this morning as it happens, also from the dead side of the circuit. As you can see, overhead does actually mean 'above the airfield'.
At White Waltham the OHJ height is 1200', with circuits at 800', so the dead side descent would be a little wider than this if the OHJ height was a more standard 1000' above the circuit. But it would still go crosswind over the upwind numbers.
This makes it difficult for aircraft to see each other at a time where it is very important to be able to do so - joining a potentially busy circuit and managing relative spacing.
Here's one of my OHJ's - from this morning as it happens, also from the dead side of the circuit. As you can see, overhead does actually mean 'above the airfield'.
At White Waltham the OHJ height is 1200', with circuits at 800', so the dead side descent would be a little wider than this if the OHJ height was a more standard 1000' above the circuit. But it would still go crosswind over the upwind numbers.