Flying ga from a busy fairport also presents a quandary . As an instructor you have to consider the students pocket as they are paying for the hour . If you deploy flap on the downwind leg then more often that not you will be reducing airspeed , eg Pa38 90kts to below 80 more usually 70 . Now from time to time you are asked to hold at the end of the downwind leg so shiny orange aeroplanes can land . This involves orbiting , you can also be asked on occasion to expedite your approach . The deployment of flaps on the dwonwind leg prior to atc making these decisions would appear to be uneccessary . If you are fying at 90 and asked to expedite then you can if you are flying at 70 when asked this would mean upping the flaps and increasing speed . i would also say that inexperienced pilots in a hold at 1000 feet at 70 knots is considerably more fraught with brown sticky and smelly stuff than orbiting at 90 , as we are constantly told you are more likely to spin in and become crispy critter on turns to finals when a/s and height are lower , this would seem to heighten the risk. We dont generally descend on the downwind leg , unless its a glide approach so why deploy flap there is plenty of time once you have turned base to set yourslf up for a greaser .
I think ???????? but Im just a cods head PPl, but thats my thoughts ,
Please dont all shout at once
