Overhead Break Turn

rcrc · Post by **rcrc** » 04 Mar 2009, 18:07

WOW-Yesterday on my way home from work I saw a C17 do the Overhead Break to land

...that was one of the coolest freaking things!! Such a big plane doing it!

There were 2 of them doing tng's at the time, so I tried to get a picture of the second one just in case it did it too, but it just did a low level flyover(?) and stayed in the pattern.

I know for you real-life military folk, this ain't really a big deal, but for we civilians, it's pretty freakin' sweet!

okay-I'm done.

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 04 Mar 2009, 22:20

Yea I saw the C-17 demo at this past year's NAS Oceana airshow. It's pretty impressive what that thing can do.

Which is why, if by god's good graces I get selected for pilot training this May, the C-17 is my number 2 choice

jetmax · Post by **jetmax** » 04 Mar 2009, 23:51

NAS Oceana airshow C-17 demo was great. Our KC-135 do an overhead break here at KGSB all the time. They like to pretent they are Strike Eagles

maddog65 · Post by **maddog65** » 05 Mar 2009, 00:49

A Couple of weeks ago I saw a pair of C-17's flying an approach into Oceana on 5R and they both did an overhead break. I thought it was pretty awesome to say the least that these guys were trying to be like fighter pilots.

Victory103 · Post by **Victory103** » 05 Mar 2009, 02:02

Very cool indeed. Grew up watching C-130's do this at KLRF, and later on watching P-3's at KNIP do the "break".

rcrc · Post by **rcrc** » 05 Mar 2009, 15:25

Jumpshot724 wrote:Yea I saw the C-17 demo at this past year's NAS Oceana airshow. It's pretty impressive what that thing can do.

Which is why, if by god's good graces I get selected for pilot training this May, the C-17 is my number 2 choice

Thats awesome Jumpshot!

Good luck and keep us posted.

rcrc · Post by **rcrc** » 05 Mar 2009, 15:27

jetmax wrote:NAS Oceana airshow C-17 demo was great. Our KC-135 do an overhead break here at KGSB all the time. They like to pretent they are Strike Eagles

lol

Wow so I guess thats a standard military practice even for the big boys huh?

GZR_Sactargets · Post by **GZR_Sactargets** » 06 Mar 2009, 16:52

They did it at Offutt "Arrows to Aerospace" show this year also. I went out to see the arrivals and they did it then too. The overhead break isn't exclusive to fighters. It is actually a fuel saving manuver to avoid a long rectangular approach. I recall learning a similar technique, a 180 side, approach in private pilot training.

reconmercs · Post by **reconmercs** » 06 Mar 2009, 17:50

GZR_Sactargets wrote:They did it at Offutt "Arrows to Aerospace" show this year also. I went out to see the arrivals and they did it then too. The overhead break isn't exclusive to fighters. It is actually a fuel saving manuver to avoid a long rectangular approach. I recall learning a similar technique, a 180 side, approach in private pilot training.

yeah, all military aircraft except rotary wing use it I believe, some of my friends going through primary have mentioned how cool it is to get to "call the break" in T-6As and T-34s

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 06 Mar 2009, 18:16

Yea the purpose of "the break" is to take aircraft that are in a tight formation and seperate them as efficiently as possible and make them far enough apart for a safe landing. Saves fuel, saves time as a/c approach the field rather fast and use the break to slow down for landing thus eliminating long slow approaches, and saves time-on-runway too

Victory103 · Post by **Victory103** » 06 Mar 2009, 22:21

Above all correct and also used in a "combat" environment, as stated, as to not have the landing aircraft drag in the approach.

For the helos, USN/USMC students do the "break" the TH-57's at NAS Whiting Fld South, probably just a carry over from primary flight training in the T-34.

lewis · Post by **lewis** » 07 Mar 2009, 12:35

We would do the "break" mostly after doing a fly over mission on our H-60 Blackhawks. If I was in the "lead" helo, I (Crewchief) would remind the pilots to call for a break overhead on our return to our unit base and it did make an impression on the guys in the ground, ( it feel awesome also in the air). Flying in Army Guard helos for 25 years gives you some "voice" in the cabin. Lewis

Victory103 · Post by **Victory103** » 07 Mar 2009, 16:52

Nice Lewis, come back and crew for me. Having a Navy background and very used to watching fast movers come in to a NAS for the break. I can't convince anyone to do it, besides the Army controller wouldn't understand my request! Now I just joke about, "Hey lets do the break".