Obviously, I don’t know the specific rules about conducting circling approaches everywhere around the world. I can only speak about those in the US – and, from my perspective, they make sense – if one absolutely insists on conducting a circling approach in anything beyond a slow moving, very stable, and rather small airplane. Why? Because this particular procedure is designed to deliberately “push” the limits of both pilot and airplane. Circling approaches, when flown in the minimum conditions authorized, are not easily accomplished and should not, in my opinion, be performed without considerable practice and some recency of experience.
A circling approach is a visually referenced maneuver. The stuff that must be “referenced” visually is the airport, specifically the runway, on which you are going to land. It is for this reason that the US rules say, “Whenever an identifiable part of the airport is not distinctly visible to the pilot during a circling maneuver at or above MDA, unless the inability to see an identifiable part of the airport results only from a normal bank of the aircraft during the circling approach, a missed approach must be initiated.” This isn’t a rule simply to make the job of getting into a particular place a little more difficult. It’s designed to help ensure that if the circumstances that should exist don’t exist … you will be encouraged to abandon the approach in a safe manner – and not feel “pressured” to continue when you should not.
The idea that one can successfully maneuver an airplane, particularly at the altitudes and visibilities authorized for circling approaches, based on timing or instinct without maintaining visual contact with the airport is, in my opinion, very highly speculative – at best. Also, the idea that reconfiguring the airplane for landing during such low-altitude and low-airspeed situations that includes anything beyond selecting the next (and final) flap setting, is geometrically compounding an already difficult maneuver.
Yes, I am fully aware that there are many airports that are accessible ONLY through the completion of a circling approach – although, in today’s environment of relatively cheap and reasonably accurate alternatives, I wonder why they still exist to the extent that they do. I also recognize that confidently constructed circling approach procedures, flown by competent and relatively experience pilots, accurately following reasonable procedures regularly result in satisfactory landings from circling approaches. BUT … while using “gouges,” “short cuts,” or “tricks” may get you through the check, you may find that such an attitude quickly turns to "habit" and could lead to something significantly less rewarding when confronted with the “real deal.” So ... please … examine what you’re doing and why and if you cannot follow the requirements for safely completing a circling approach … go to your alternate.