This 'bomber circuit' discussion rolls on and on, but no-one ever gets to the point: complainers! It is people living in villages and sometimes individual houses who cause the big circuit mentality.
We must presume that many of these people have lived in their property since a time before the airfield was built. However, there must be a proportion who have moved in since 1945 taking advantage of a discount in the price of their home due to aircraft noise and now hope to leverage a cash advantage by restricting flying.
These people cause airfield operators to require ludicrous operating proceedures that often extend to the edge of the ATZ. And then, because of difficulties for pilots identifying which complaining village is which, the circuits just grow. Recently, following downwind traffic far from the airfield, I enquired of ATC if the aircraft ahead was departing the circuit. "I'm still in the ATZ" came back a strangled response from an instructor, as though that was justification for flying so wide.
Most of these wide circuits are outside gliding range. What's needed, next time there's an off - airfield forced landing due to this, is for the pilot to hold the complainer (and it's often one ringleader) personally responsible.
Just a thought.