It's all about the instructors and their instructors etc teaching crap over many years!
This was going on 30 years ago and will no doubt continue.
Yes, poor mentoring over the years has a lot to do with it. However, the CFIs and ATOs have a lot to answer for when it comes to improving the standard of instructing and living in the real world.
Many instructors have taught Qantas cadets who are required to pass a flight test with a certain QLD-based ATO. This guy pushes the 3 deg profile methodology and believes the approach should involve a fair bit of power. His words to a group of instructors one day was (roughly) "in jets they have to approach with a large amount of power on. They can't do low-powered approaches, otherwise the engines wouldn't be able to spool up in time in the case of a go around. I want students to use this powered approach technique". What do you think happened if a student flew a circuit like most of us know is possible in a typical light GA aircraft? They failed the approach/landing part of the flight test.
I think this belief is a little extreme - I like to sit in the middle of this whole debate. Yes, you need to fly a circuit and approach that is applicable to the aeroplane you are flying - it is a PA28, not a 737. However, getting a student into good aimpoint/airspeed habits early on is also important.
Poor form is instructors teaching:
- Wide, slow circuits, which holds everyone else up in an attempt to achieve a 3 deg profile on final (sure, it takes a few lessons to get the pattern down-pat, but don't let the habit continue!).
- Close circuits with a steep approach angle and little/no power because "you never know when the engine is going to fail!".
We teach people circuits so they can learn what power/attitude/aimpoint/configuration leads to a safe and stable approach/landing, not only now, but for their future flying as well. How many accidents have occurred over the years because of a poor approach? How many deaths? Now compare that to how many deaths have occurred because the engine failed in the circuit? We're not flying Tigermoths anymore! Yes, be safe, but think about the big picture when teaching people circuits.
There seems to be a fair bit of penis measuring in the previous posts. To those heros boasting because they can fly a tight circuit - get your hand off it.