Question: "Overhead Entry to Downwind?"

Descending into a leg of the pattern is generally considered to be less
than safe
due to the risk of a collision. It's a little less dangerous when the
descending
aircraft is a high-wing, but it's still frowned upon.

While what you say is true, I have tried the "overhead break" on occasion,
and found it to be a very good way to see the entire pattern before entry.
It's also a lot of fun.

On the other hand, it's always the one you *don't* see that kills you, and
ground clutter can make spotting traffic difficult, so descending into the
pattern can be dangerous. To reduce this risk, I've tried entering the
pattern for this kind of an "overhead break" just 100 or so feet above
"normal" pattern altitude. This seemed to be a good compromise, minimized
the amount of time spent descending into a possible conflict, while still
allowing for a good scan of the whole pattern.

Is it still dangerous? I would rate it as mildly more risky than the more
standard "entering on a 45," and slightly less risky than a long
straight-in. Therefore, I don't use this approach when I know there is
other traffic in the pattern.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"