I would much rather have an engine failure in the overhead approach than a 3 mile final. Lots of energy to work in my favor with the overhead.

I'd rather my engine fail over the airport too, but don't you have to fly through the 3 mile final to get to the overhead break anyway?

Yah, but i’m higher and faster at 3 miles with no drag. The energy is still in my favor there.

AIM text quoted previously below.
Interestingly they mainly describe it as an ending for an IFR arrival.

AIM 5-4-27 Overhead Approach Maneuver
Pilots operating in accordance with an IFR flight plan in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) may request ATC authorization for an overhead maneuver. An overhead maneuver is not an instrument approach procedure. Overhead maneuver patterns are developed at airports where aircraft have an operational need to conduct the maneuver. An aircraft conducting an overhead maneuver is considered to be VFR and the IFR flight plan is canceled when the aircraft reaches the initial point on the initial approach portion of the maneuver. (See FIG 5-4-34.) The existence of a standard overhead maneuver pattern does not eliminate the possible requirement for an aircraft to conform to conventional rectangular patterns if an overhead maneuver cannot be approved. Aircraft operating to an airport without a functioning control tower must initiate cancellation of an IFR flight plan prior to executing the overhead maneuver. Cancellation of the IFR flight plan must be accomplished after crossing the landing threshold on the initial portion of the maneuver or after landing. Controllers may authorize an overhead maneuver and issue the following to arriving aircraft:
Pattern altitude and direction of traffic. This information may be omitted if either is standard.
PHRASEOLOGY-
PATTERN ALTITUDE (altitude). RIGHT TURNS.
Request for a report on initial approach.
PHRASEOLOGY-
REPORT INITIAL.
“Break” information and a request for the pilot to report. The “Break Point” will be specified if nonstandard. Pilots may be requested to report “break” if required for traffic or other reasons.
PHRASEOLOGY-
BREAK AT (specified point).
REPORT BREAK.

AC90-66B
9.9.3 An overhead approach is normally performed by aerobatic or high-performance aircraft
and involves a quick 180-degree turn and descent at the approach end of the runway
before turning to land (described in the AIM, paragraph 5-4-27, Overhead Approach
Maneuvers).

9.6.1 Non-instrument-rated pilots might not understand radio calls referring to approach
waypoints, depicted headings, or missed approach procedures. IFR pilots often indicate
that they are on a particular approach, but that may not be enough information for a
non-IFR-rated pilot to know your location. It is better to provide specific direction and
distance from the airport, as well as the pilot’s intentions upon completion of the
approach. For example, instead of saying,
“PROCEDURE TURN INBOUND V-O-R
APPROACH 36,” it should be “6 MILES SOUTH … INBOUND V-O-R APPROACH
RUNWAY 36, LOW APPROACH ONLY” or “6 MILES SOUTH … INBOUND V-O-R
APPROACH RUNWAY 36, LANDING FULL STOP.”

FYI, a USAF overhead is flown at pattern altitude until you roll off the perch for the descending 180 turn to final. Not high speed low over the approach end. The purpose is to get planes on the ground and less of a target. With keeping at pattern altitude, planes can be landing while you are in initial. Not possibly with low altitude initial.

And it is flown at normal cruise speed, not the speed of heat. But it can be done at higher speeds.

I remember standing outside the Q at UPT (Lauglin) under the T-37 pattern and being able to tell which class the student was in. The newest ones did the break, rolled wings level, then put down the gear and then the flaps, with a pause between the two.

The middle one had the gear coming down AS the rolled wings level. And flaps were immediate

Those about to move into the T-38, would be gear and flaps coming down together about midway through the turn.

The BeechNutz fly the initial at 130 Kts Indicated.
Pattern altitude unless otherwise instructed by tower.
45 degrees level break at the numbers, prefer left breaks.
Power back.
Bleed off airspeed to 110 Kts in the 180 degree turn.
Gear down abeam the numbers.
Continuous descending turn to final.
100 Kts mid turn, think base.
90 Kts final and into the flair.
Lead lands on the cold side,
Wingmen land hot and transition cold.

Flaps optional for Bonanzas.
Or as briefed depending on runway environment.

For those looking for "friendly" (maybe?) places to safely execute these maneuvers, I think I see at least one of them every time I go to Gillespie Field (KSEE).

I saw one Sunday afternoon at FDK. An Epsilon in military colors approaches the field….above the traffic on short final….a 152 and a 172 downwind turning to base. He was cleared for number three….and it all worked out. Tower was ok with it…..didn’t know it was an option.

There’s sometimes helo traffic in the center doing practice rotations and hovering…..not sure it would work with that happening.

It’s pretty normal to proceed from initial to the break over landing traffic. Generally, tower will confirm you have downwind traffic in sight and say “break to follow” or similar. It works out as long as the traffic that is perching is descending lower than pattern altitude (they should be). Here at Eglin, we mix in fast jet overheads, commercial traffic, and aero club traffic routinely. Most dedicated military patterns have entry points outside of the inside pattern that you can reference to “flow” into the pattern.

It would seem that there is a potential for traffic conflicts at non-towered airports frequented by NORDO aircraft (Piper Cubs without electrical systems and gliders for example). My home base has both.

They don’t show up on TCAS or ADSB traffic because they don’t have transponders.

Yes tower was calling out traffic and the Epsilon was confirming....It was more communication that usual. I guess I question why he couldn't fit in with everyone else....but Ok, it's a free country and the guy wearing Nomex had fun.

It’s pretty normal to proceed from initial to the break over landing traffic. Generally, tower will confirm you have downwind traffic in sight and say “break to follow” or similar. It works out as long as the traffic that is perching is descending lower than pattern altitude (they should be). Here at Eglin, we mix in fast jet overheads, commercial traffic, and aero club traffic routinely. Most dedicated military patterns have entry points outside of the inside pattern that you can reference to “flow” into the pattern.

Thankfully, they still show up on the Mk1 Mod 0 eyeball.

He did fit in. If he was coming from that direction, it was faster and fit better then him flying an upwind-crosswind-downwind, or flying out to loop back into a 45 to downwind or similar.

He did fit in.....but those of us in cargo shorts and crocs are doing a 360 3-4 miles out and a straight in.

He did fit in. If he was coming from that direction, it was faster and fit better then him flying an upwind-crosswind-downwind, or flying out to loop back into a 45 to downwind or similar.

Unfortunately, history shows that is often not true.