Ms Meagre*: I'm very well aware of constant aspect approaches and how glider pilots do it (I was at LGS for 10+ years and have done my share of field landings) but we are not talking about "one shot" approaches in a glider. In this situation the pilot has decided that landing is necessary and still has power available, it is therefore appropriate to inspect the intended landing area before committing.
The situation is low cloud and poor viz. The first pass is made at a height that is above any pylons that may or may not be present.
It's easier to allow for drift if the "circuit" is square (yes, I know it would be possible to use hold timing techniques but that's a bit academic for this situation) but if viz is reasonable it's far better to keep the strip in sight, and for this an oval circuit would be preferable.
Pace: the training is for a hypothetical situation. The method works. The reason for looking for landmarks on the first pass is to help orientation during the inspection or landing.
Great to see a healthy discussion.
UPDATED: to say that my thread starter seems to have lost an intended link, here it is:
precautionary landing procedure
HFD
* nothing meant by that, but you played with my "name" so I thought I'd play with yours
