Advice - Tight Circuits
Hi All,
I'm looking for some advice/tips on making my circuits better - I've had the PPL since the start of the year, and would like to try and make my circuits a bit tigher.
The procedure as taught (PA38) is a 70 knot climb, at 500' 15deg AOB turn onto crosswind. Continue climbing to circuit height, then accelerate slightly and make a 30deg AOB turn onto downwind. Turn base (30deg AOB) when the landing spot is in the 8 o'clock position, slow to approach speed and first stage of flaps, then no more than a 15deg AOB turn onto final, established above 500', full flaps and continue down to landing.
Obviously, when there's traffic about it's a different matter and I don't have a problem fitting in, but left on my own the above procedure is what I'm aiming for.
However, I downloaded a GPS trace into Google Earth, and my downwind is almost 1 NM from the runway - rather too far IMHO. My final started about 1nm from the threshold at 500' aal. This means at the downwind/base turn I'm almost 2 nm from the centre of the field.
The direct cause of the downwind spacing is climbing to circuit height on crosswind - is it acceptable to turn earlier on crosswind and continue climbing downwind? Also, how about reducing power and starting the descent before base turn? (With both of the above I'd be limiting the AOB to 15deg as I'd be at 70kts rather than approx 85)
What would you consider "best practice" in the circuit?
Thanks for any advice and sorry for the long post.
-j34-