Airport operations
Contents
Learning objectives
- Enter the pattern
- Fly a circuit
- Fly the overhead break
- Fly the tactical recover procedure
- QNH vs. QFE
Learning files
Recoveries
Overhead break
The military pattern, otherwise known as the overhead break, is the standard for all USAF fighter operations. It looks great on camera, but primarily, it's designed to deconflict and get planes on the ground as soon as possible.
Theory
The overhead break, otherwise known as the military pattern, is a landing technique used to accomplish the following objectives:
- Deconflict traffic. Landing aircraft will automatically and intuitively deconflict with one another with minimal loss of SA when altitude and DME restrictions are observed.
- Time. It is possible to land many aircraft safely within a small period of time in the military pattern format.
- Configuration. Flying the military pattern allows pilots to configure their aircraft for landing in an efficient and safe manner. At a minimum, two turns are conducted that are used to bleed off airspeed (Ops Limit for LDG Gear 300 KIAS, 11 degree AoA or green donut for approach).
Terminology
- Pattern Altitude: The altitude in MSL by which an aircraft flies the downwind part of the military pattern.
- Altimeter: An aircraft instrument that measures vertical distance. For all military pattern operations, altimeters will be set to the local altimeter setting, otherwise known as QNH. If no altimeter setting can be retrieved, set the altitude to the known airfield elevation above MSL.
- Entry: The military pattern is always entered at an entry point. There are two entry points:
- Initial: A theoretical point 3.0 nm(for UOAF purposes) in front of and directly aligned with the active runway threshold.
- Entry Runway XX: A briefed, and sometimes published point offset from the airport (usually 45 degrees) in which an aircraft is at pattern altitude, pointing at the center of the runway, and is offset the downwind leg by 45 degrees (clarified later in the document).
- Break Turn: A continuous, constant altitude, 180 degree left or right turn executed by the flight leader at the halfway mark of the active runway. The rollout point is the downwind leg.
- Downwind: A leg of the military pattern, flown in the opposite direction and parallel of the active runway at constant altitude, no less than 0.5 nm away from the runway.
- Perch: An imaginary point on the downwind leg so that if a line were drawn from the aircraft to the runway threshold, its angle would be roughly 45 degrees.
- Base Turn: A continuous, descending 180 degree turn from the perch point to an imaginary line extending from the runway threshhold. The rollout point is when the aircraft is aligned with the runway.
- Final: A point just before landing in which the aircraft is aligned with the runway, in a landing configuration, and the pilot is commited to the landing.
- Closed Turn: A continuous, ascending 180 degree turn from the end of the runway to intercept downwind. A closed turn is only made if going around or performing touch and go’s.
Restrictions
The military pattern is flown under several conditions:
- VFR Weather Conditions (3 statute mile visibility, cloud clearances of 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above, and 2,000 feet horizontal distance).
- IFR conditions are NOT present and no instrument approaches are in effect
- No emergency procedures are in effect for aircraft in the flight or other landing aircraft.
- In multiple ship flights, indivudal ships will break at a briefed time interval with respect to the flight leader.
UOAF Observed Parameters (SOPs)
- Initial will be declared at 3.0 nm from the active runway threshold and will be overflown at an altitude of 3,000 AGL
- Pattern Altitude will be 2,000 AGL
- Airspeed at initial will be 350 KIAS or slower(Ops limits will be observed for all procedures).
- Communications will be accurately and deliberately executed (document will explain in detail below).
- Altitudes are provided in AGL so that the relative vertical profile of these procedures are consistent regardless of airbase or field elevation. It is the responsibility of flight leaders to convert and brief these altitudes in MSL. For example, an airfield with a field elevation of 2,000 MSL will have an initial altitude of 5,000 MSL(+3000)and a pattern altitude of 4,000 MSL(+2000).
UOAF Procedures (SOPs)
A flight will assume close trail or echelon formation and will fly at 3,000 AGL until initial for the active runway. At initial, aircraft will descend to 2,000 AGL, starting a closed turn for downwind once halfway down the active runway. On downwind, aircraft will slow down and configure for landing. At the perch, aircraft will begin their base turn and intercept the glidepath of the runway with the appropriate AoA. Aircraft will touchdown and land using the entirety of the runway.
Responsibilities
Flight Leaders
It is the flight leader’s responsibility to insure that landing procedures as they are stated here are followed with precision and purpose as well as to make proper radio calls to the flight and package comms.
Wingmen
It is the winman’s responsibility to insure that the formation is being upheld with precision. Wingmen are expected to broadcast their actions to their flight leader.
UOAF Communications (SOPs)
Before Initial
- Flight leader will brief his/her flight on runway in use and entry point, pattern direction (left or right), initial altitude, pattern altitude, airspeed until the break, airspeed on the downwind, and break interval.
- Example: “Flight, landing runway THREE-ZEROvia initial at 3,000,right traffic, pattern altitude 2,000, we will maintain THREE-FIVE-ZERO knots, TWO-FIVE-ZERO knots on downwind, break after 2 seconds.”
- Wingmen will respond with their callsign.
- Example: “TWO, THREE, FOUR”
At Initial
- Flight leader will announce on package comms that his/her flight is at initial and descending to pattern altitude
- Example: “Snake 11, initial,runway THREE-ZERO, descending”
- Wingmen will hold formation and respond with their callsign
- Example “TWO, THREE, FOUR”
At the Break Point
- Flight leader will announce to his flight that he is executing his/her break turn
- Example: “Lead is on the break”
- Wingmen will fly runway heading until it is their turn to break. After which, they will announce their break turn.
- Example:(2 seconds later after lead’s break)“TWO, on the break”
- Example:(2 seconds later after #2’s break) “THREE, on the break”
- Example:(2 seconds later after #3’s break) “FOUR, on the break”
On the Downwind Leg
- Flight leader will communicate his/her airspeed to the rest of the flight and will announce when configuring for landing.
- Example: “Lead is holding TWO-FIVE-ZERO knots, boards out, gear down.”
- Wingmen will ONLY drop their gear and extend boards when they are at the APPROXIMATE point where lead configured for landing*
- Example:When at the approximate position where lead extended boards and dropped gear:“TWO, boards out,gear down.”
- As a wingman, it is important to use common sense when deciding to extend boards and drop gear. Maintaining separation is paramount, but so is making sure you areequally spaced with lead and the wingmen behind you. Thus, the decision when to extend boards and drop gear is purely situational.
On BaseTurn
- Flight leader will communicate to the rest of the package that he/she is on the base turn. The flight leader speaks for the rest of the flight, so always assume that there are wingmen following.
- Example: “Snake 11, base,runway THREE-ZERO.”
- Wingmen will communicate to the flight that they are on base.
- Example: “TWO, base,runway THREE-ZERO.”
After Touchdown
- Flight leader will communicate with the rest of the flight that he has vacated the active runway. The rest of the package will be notified once all planes are down.
- Example: “Lead is off runway THREE-ZERO at Bravo.”
- Example: “Snake flight has landed and vacated runway THREE-ZERO. Runway THREE-ZERO is clear for landing.”
- Wingmen will tell their flight leader when they have vacated the runway.
- Example: “TWO is off runway THREE-ZERO at Bravo.”
Conclusion
The military pattern is designed with safety and efficiency in mind. When flown accurately, the overhead break in the military pattern should be a seamless exercise in formation and communication. As long as flights dictate their intentions and locations while maintaining proper procedures, collisions and safety hazards are minimal despite airspace that is densely populated with landing aircraft.
Tactical recovery procedure (TRP)
How to execute a TRP
