Not all all. 700 foot circuit height with the smallest circuit of any airfield I have every flown in. Even on hot summers day in an asthmatic Cessna 150 you can get 12 touch and goes competed in one hour. And thats engine start to engine stop.
Circuit does get overloaded with anything more than 4 aircraft in it mind.
Bathman wrote:
Even on hot summers day in an asthmatic Cessna 150 you can get 12 touch and goes competed in one hour.
Okay. Only last week, I did 10 consecutive night landings (touch-and-go’s) with my student in not much more than 30 minutes between two Ryanair operations – we had the airport to ourselves between those which certainly helped to do speedy circuits. When doing night landings, I am very keen on descending from pattern altitude (1000ft AGL) only when established on final, so we extended downwind somewhat and didn’t do the shortest possible patterns. But of course, that was on one of those 1043hPa nights with freezing temperatures, so our little C152 performed like a Starfighter 
What does a student pay (in terms of fees) for 9 touch n go’s and 1 full-stop during night time at Stuttgart, in a 152?
allergic reaction towards this constant " this is how we/they do/did it in the airforce " talk
I wasn’t suggesting better or worse, I was just wondering why. Anyways, given noise abatement, you fly whatever the prescribed circuit is, whatever it’s shape.
How about why are B52 circuits taught when there are not any noise abatement procedures?
boscomantico wrote:
What does a student pay (in terms of fees) for 9 touch n go’s and 1 full-stop during night time at Stuttgart, in a 152?
Too much! This is why we flew to Memmingen (EDJA) for the circuits. The advantage is, that we can do the cross-country part of the night instructions in one go with the circuits.
Ok, now the two Ryanairs also make some sense…:-)
boscomantico wrote:
Ok, now the two Ryanairs also make some sense…:-)
Stuttgart is also a Ryanair base since about 1/2 year :-( And EasyJet. Lufthansa has completely withdrawn, only Germanwings is left. The beginning of the end…
CKN wrote:
I wasn’t suggesting better or worse, I was just wondering why. Anyways, given noise abatement, you fly whatever the prescribed circuit is, whatever it’s shape.
At ENVA the big jets come from time to time to fly circuits (for whatever reason). They fly close circuits, oval circuits. Glider “circuits” (only landing of course), are 45 degree turns from downwind. The reason, as explained to me, you can have the landing spot in view at all times. Does it matter? Maybe, maybe not, I think it’s more a matter of practicing. Practicing ovals, you will be good at flying ovals. Practicing squares, you will be good at flying squares. The square is probably easier to explain, and divide into defined segments, but it is not very natural nor flexible. Birds don’t fly squares.
Rwy20 wrote:
If you have a tower with a radar, that changes everything. But here I think it was more about uncontrolled fields.
The only time I have nearly died in a circuit was at a ATC field. Told to turn right on to base, only to find that there was someone on left base. That day I learnt not to trust ATC
Peter wrote:
How about why are B52 circuits taught when there are not any noise abatement procedures?
I don’t think instructors set out to instruct bomber circuits unless there is a good reason, at least I hope not. when you are first teaching circuits I find that you really have to push the student to keep the circuit “tight” otherwise they will be quite happy doing 4nm legs as they faff with the trimmer or something else. you have to keep on to them about it for what seems an age. I reckon some instructors just get worn down and give in :p
