In article ,
Frank Stutzman wrote:

Orval Fairbairn wrote:


I have 100 mph gear speed on my 1946 Johnson Rocket -- I have found the
best way to bleed off speed is to do the 360 overhead approach, where
you overfly the runway, on desired runway heading, at pattern altitude
and "break" to the downwind (assuming that nobody is already on
downwind), reducing throttle as speed bleeds off. i hit gear speed about
the 180 degree point, drop the gear, drop flaps even with the TD point
and continue with a short base and final.

If you do it right, you won't have to add any power and can make the
numbers with a nice 3-pointer. This also works great in a T-34.

Gee Orval, you must be a lot fun for ATC at a busy controled field.

Its been a long time, but I don't remember you ever doing that when you
flew in and out of Palo Alto.



I usually didn't arrive from the south and had not really discovered the
efficiency of the 360 overhead at that time. Reid-Hillview would
sometimes request a 360 overhead, but I never really perfected it until
I moved to Spruce Creek and got into formation flying.

It really works!