Base Leg
 

Base leg, 1600ft agl, IAS 160kts, when do you turn final using visual references only, and if there was a beacon on the field, how would you use it, to your advantage?
Thanks

When the picture looks right! Not trying to be clever, just honest.

Another thought you might try:

A clock or watch might help you if you really don't know.

If, for example, you descent 700 feet per minute to the threshold.
It would take you a bit more than two minutes to get down from 1600 feet.
If you time your traffic pattern next time you could figure out when to start your descent.
If you prefer 500 feet per minute, start descending 3 minutes before landing.
Try this a few times and you'll learn how long your pattern is time-wise.

Hi,
Your profile says you are an airline pilot and you require advice on visual approaches and the use of (as an aid) a beacon on the airfield.
For what type of aircraft do you require this advise?
If an airliner ,then the visual circuit altitudes and distances, should be in the training manual, and the appropriate stopwatch times,speeds,flap settings,pitch attitudes, and power settings, all engines and engine out also.
A beacon? do you mean an NDB or a marker beacon, a VOR or a VORDME?
If you are with an airline ask your chief training captain, thats his job to train.
IMHO a good knowledge of the wind speed and direction and how this will effect your tracking and radius of turn onto final will help you avoid over banking to avoid over shooting the final approach path. It is better to turn slightly too early and correct by flattening out the bank than to be in a tight turn tightening the turn onto finals.
A slightly longer final than recommended will give you more time to correct than an error the other way.
Know your bank angle for a rate one turn and donot exceed that,know your pitch attitudes, and power settings for the downwind, base, and final configurations.
Basically a viual is a visual, start your turn onto final when the runway is about 45degrees off the nose,then keep the final between your legs,just as you do the runway and taxi lines.
If your beacon has DME and is on the threshold end of your runway, dependent on your aircraft type you can use this as a distance and bearing guide to turning base and final, however be aware that the dme might well be elseware and you must correct accurately for this.Be aware if the dme should be countig up or down in the circuit at your present position, ie stay orientated, it should be easy as you are vmc, right?
A visual circuit is really what it says a visual,also a pilot who accepts an atc prompt for a visual approach or who asks atc for a visual, better be dead sure he has the correct airport and runway, and is well advised to confirm his previously tuned and identified landing aids indicate this.