I fluffed my first attempt at a PFL (open field) in my Skills Test. I committed the sin of losing visual contact with my chosen field halfway through the 'circuit'. I generally talk my way through PFLs out loud ("bit too high", "bit too fast", "where the f@*$ is that field" etc etc) and I think this was enough to convince the examiner I was safe enough to have another go, which went fine and I passed.
I was taught the 'key' method by my PPL instructor, but later learned the 1000' method described by FFF above, which I find much more effective and use now whenever I practice PFLs. Obviously neither of these methods should be necessary at a familiar airfield.
Another tip that I didn't figure out until the day before my test is that if you trim a C152 up to the endstop it should be nicely setup for best glide range. Knowing that, you can be thinking about other things while spinning the trim wheel and save a few seconds.
One last thing - always remember AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE. Always in that order. I was always in a rush to get my Mayday call out of the way, but it should be a low priority compared to flying safely down to ground.
Last edited by Tall_guy_in_a_152; 18th April 2003 at 01:12.