they probably fly a visual circuit once a blue moon. From turning final chucking out Flap on roll in will cost zippo fuel
If todays airline pilots are so helpless without the aid of the automatics that they cannot fly a normal visual circuit without resorting to gimmicks like landing flap downwind, God help them should they have a birdstrike in that configuration. I bet that's not practiced in the simulator in level flight and full flap.
Are pilots nowadays so welded to the autopilot they need to select full flap downwind to give time for the autopilot time to cope with the trim changes? . Really, isn't this just a case of the tail waggng the dog? Or is the real reason crews are worried that any out of tolerance parameters caused by poor handling ability is likely to trigger a flag in the QAR? Tea and bikkies, anyone?
The Boeing 737 FCTM held by the Townsville refueller, (remember him) states:
"Before turning base or initiating the turn on to base, extend the landing gear, select flap 15, arm the speed brake and slow to flaps 15 maneuver speed. Turning base leg, adjust the thrust as required while descending at apptoximately 600-700 fpm. Extend landing flaps before turning final." Not on the downwind leg (writer's comment)