Originally Posted by
Chuck Ellsworth
Any instructor who deserves the title of instructor will very quickly be able to determine where a pilot needs further instruction in a very short time of observing the pilot being trained.
I take this para to mean that you also do handling assesment of the student prior to starting in the circuit. I Absolutely agree the best place to fully observe the pilot is IMO the practice area. How long the student needs to spend there will of course vary, but my experience with PPL's that have only flown modern nosewheel trainers is that htey need at least an hour to learn how to properly fly an aircraft in the J3/7AC/C140 class. Going straight to the circuit IMO deprives them of an essential handling familiarization which they will then have to acquire while also trying to land and takeoff, not the ideal situation IMO.