I wonder how long it would take a J3 Cub (65hp, cruise about 50 knots) ) with a 10 knot headwind to make a one and a half mile approach, all at three degrees? SSD is good at these sorts of sums, so I'll leave it to him. Of course, no one would dream of flying a J3 like that.
Ok, so this is a rhetorical question simply to show that something has gone a bit strange with the way pilots are looking at their light aircraft. The easiest retort is that an Archer or whatever is a different beastie. Agreed! But both aircraft are picking their way around the same circuit.
The amazing thing is that I'd much rather have an engine failure in a Cub than an Archer, even though the temptation to fly the Archer like a sodding Boeing 737 would make things even worse.
TW