Capt Crash: Perhaps it is unlikely to have an engine failure due to mechanical failure on short finals, but there are other possible causes (e.g. carby icing, fuel starvation / contamination). It also comes down to the philosophy of minimising the risk. You aim a little way into the field for the same reasons you don't fly single engine over water (you don't do you ?
)- just in case !
JF: Thanks for the description of the method in your post. I found it very enlightening and most useful.
Cheers,
Grade 3