Anyone care to comment on Downwind checks ?
Yes.
Can we please stop calling them 'downwind' checks. The term 'pre-landing' checks covers not only the downwind but the base and straight-in joins. I learned this fairly early on when the only joins permitted at my base airfield were left or right base joins, (depending on runway in use) as the airfield was inside the Heathrow Zone. If you're not ever 'downwind' and you've on.ly learned to do the checks 'downwind' then you're not going to do them.
I read recently that every item on the list is there because someone has paid dearly for not doing it.
TOO