Altitude to climb to on a overshoot

[Type4]

When I first started my training 5 years ago, I was told to climb back to 500'AGL and if no conflict cut over to a early crosswind and re-join downwind right away. Should you always stay at 500'AGL until you are clear of the runway? Reason I ask is, maybe you have someone crossing overhead at 1000'AGL to join downwind, and someone on an overshoot climbing back up to circuit altitude right away could cause some issues no? Assume uncontrolled airport.

[floatplanepilot]

When I first started my training 5 years ago, I was told to climb back to 500'AGL and if no conflict cut over to a early crosswind and re-join downwind right away. Should you always stay at 500'AGL until you are clear of the runway? Reason I ask is, maybe you have someone crossing overhead at 1000'AGL to join downwind, and someone on an overshoot climbing back up to circuit altitude right away could cause some issues no? Assume uncontrolled airport.

At an uncontrolled airport you can do what ever you want as long as you give way to the airplane on your right.

[Beefitarian]

I'm lower, give way floatplanepilot.

[iflyforpie]

Never heard of that. Proper radio procedures, circuit procedures, and a good lookout should prevent any problems....


If I have to do a go around, I sometimes do a 500ft circuit rather than climbing all the way up, since usually it is just wildlife or a glider on the runway that makes me overshoot.

[ahramin]

Just one comment. Don't climb in the downwind leg. Whatever altitude you are doing your circuit at, get level at that altitude before turning downwind.

[ahramin]

Just one comment. Don't climb in the downwind leg. Whatever altitude you are doing your circuit at, get level at that altitude before turning downwind.

[trey kule]

Damned if I ever thought much about it before , or if I did , it was so long ago that it has slipped my memory.

One thing though, in general it is a good idea if there are no other considerations to climb straight ahead until you get to about 400 or 500 feet before doing any turns (note...the other consideration comment). It is a simple safety thing so as not to be in a turn at low altitude if your engine calves (or one of two )

When I worked in the north many years ago, just about every new city pilot would start doing turns and circuits at ridiculously low altitudes...on the belief that they were now bush pilots (aka cowboys). There is more than a few dead of crippled who found out that beavers stall quite easily during a low level turn if you are not paying attention...well we cannot be sure about the dead ones.

And while I am rambling some ariports have specific procedures so it is not a one size fits all. Just dont get into the cowboy faze, and it appears that you had a good instructor who recognized that even if they did not really maybe give you the reason for it.

[Doc]

If, and I have to assume you you are, talking about a nice VFR go around at your local airport, either while doing circuits or overshooting from an arrival to the airport, for whatever reason, I treat the go-around, overshoot, like a normal take-off. I wouldn't fly the departure any differently than a "normal" departure. ie., 500 feet, then off you go to the cross wind leg, just as you would do on a normal circuit departure.

[KK7]

I would say that there is not an answer that covers you all the time, it depends one what's going on around you.

I used to work at an airport that had some very funky airspace around it, and it involved a lot of NORDO traffic passing over on a VFR route 2000' AGL, aircraft passing over the field to descend on the upwind side at 1500' AGL, aircraft crossing over from the upwind side to join a downwind at 1000' AGL. It was busy, uncontrolled, and there was a good chance that at some point during the day there would be at least a couple of NORDO aircraft joining the circuit. In this case, climbing above 500' AGL on an overshoot while traveling directly above and along the runway meant there was a good you were closing in the altitude spacing between you and other aircraft that you potentially did not see. Should this airport be an MF, yes, but that was only in the works at the time, and some people do insist on flying without a radio despite being around/just underneath very busy controlled airspace.

But this was a specific instance. Should you overshoot, climb to 500', level then later climb more? My answer is it depends if anyone is above you.

[trey kule]

HUH? You might want to give your exampe a bit more thought, unless you were using it to point out how one can use perfect logice to come to a totally wrong conclusion

[KK7]

So you're saying you would knowingly climb into other traffic?

[trey kule]

Normally, I try not to be baited and take things personally. But as you seem to want to go there.

Point out exactly where I suggested anything about KNOWLINGLY...climbing into traffic.. More on this at the e

Let me see if I can analyze this.

You provide a stituation, which, by your own admission, is very specific. For exactly what reason? If it is not typical, than that situation should be dealt with as an individual situation and not as an example of the general rule.

But lets actually go through your situation.
There is absolutely no normal reason for any conflict on the departure leg below 500 feet in your example. And that is what we were talking about.
Now. if you extend your departure leg which would be aided by the longer climb, to position yourself so that you will be turning downwind well back from the mid downwind you should have no problem with aircraft (NORDO or not) entering overhead into the circuit as they will be joining about midfield
Now that does not mean you blindly fly around. Situational awareness and traffic lookout are still necessary.. After all you never know when some idiot has convinced himself of the value of a super procedure, known only to himself, and will turn the crosswind early and end up turning downwind in pretty much the same piece of airspace as everyone else.
It is , I suppose, why we have all those overhead joining procedures. So we can at least hope everyone is doing what they are supposed to.

You can agree or disagree. That is your choice. But I would ask that you be careful before posting such comments implying by question that I am advocating some unsafe or illegal practice.

[burhead1]

To answer the original poster, I was taught when in a overshot you move to the right of the runway. This was done so you could see if someone was departing on the runway and could see them. I would not climb above 500 until past the end of the runway, this will give you separation from someone crossing overhead to join the mid downwind. As stated treat it like a normal clim to circuit. Always be aware of what is happening around you, as when your making your turn you should know what has been happening on the runway, as in aircraft departing or safe to make your left hand turn. (if left hand circuits ).

[KK7]

Sorry for the bait, and it wasn't meant to be personal. I couldn't see how I had arrived at the wrong conclusion.

You provide a stituation, which, by your own admission, is very specific. For exactly what reason? If it is not typical, than that situation should be dealt with as an individual situation and not as an example of the general rule.

Trey, that is exactly my point, that this situation AND MANY OTHERS are not what is considered to be typical. All too often many newer pilots like to get some sort of catch-all general rule to always use, when in my opinion many new pilots are lacking a vital skill: situational awareness. The original poster asked what altitude should be climbed to following an overshoot, and related to a situation very similar to the one I pointed out namely consideration for traffic overhead the field. Most of the replies after the original poster's initial question seemed to indicate that you can do whatever you want without consideration for where other traffic is. I tried to provide a counterpoint by giving a specific example of what the original poster was referring to.