cubfyer wrote:
if aircraft infront of you have had to extend downwind to fit in with other traffic, then you need to follow them and fit in, not turn base at the earliest opportunity and cut in to traffic on final, no wonder they complained.
That is utter bolleux.
The circuit pattern is not a snake of aircraft determined to get in on the first approach and streching the downwind leg in to the next county in order to do so.
What everyone else SHOULD have done was go-around from the downwind leg as soon as it appeared obvious that they were too close to the aircraft in front.
The circuit should ONLY be extended upwind, with the expection of flapless circuits, or under the control of ATC (where they are controlling the overall picture).
I have no problem with turning base, on track, if I'm not going to endanger an aircraft already established on finals. Too often people blindly extend so far downwind that they leave the ATZ - that's when I'll happily "cut them up" - why shouldn't I? They've left the circuit!
