On Thursday, 28 July 2016 00:33:48 UTC+1, son_of_flubber wrote:
The 'Single 180 Turn From Downwind to Final' (aka 'military style pattern') and 'Stall-spin on Turn from Base to Final' are both well discussed as independent topics on RAS. But I've not seen anything about how these pieces fit together.

Having recently tried the 'Single 180 Turn...' and LIKED it, I'm wondering if there is any good reason why I should not fly this approach at an uncontrolled airport with mostly glider traffic. What about at a controlled airport with mostly GA power traffic?

And I'm wondering if anyone has ever stall-spinned from a 'Single 180 Turn...' pattern and whether there are subtle 'gotchas' associated with that pattern shape that I should know about.

What is the military's track record wrt 'Stall-spin in the pattern'? Does it happen just as often with the 'Single 180 Turn...'?

It sounds as though what we teach in the UK may be a little different to the USA approach (sorry for the pun).

We divide the downwind to base turn into two approximately 45 degrees turns, to insert a 'diagonal leg'. After passing low key, instead of continuing a long way downwind to make a rectangular circuit, we turn 45 degrees onto a diagonal, and later make another 45 degree turn onto a shorter base. Advantages over the rectangular circuit are keeping the landing area in site, and maintaining something closer to a constant glide angle to the reference point, which makes it easier to judge whether too high, too low or about right. It is a matter of judgement how soon or how far after passing low key to turn onto the diagonal.