On Monday, November 28, 2016 at 10:23:01 PM UTC+3, danlj wrote:
This question has generated a long string of notes about the landing pattern & few about the stall.
One important factor is speed: As we all know, aircraft fall if a wing or a large part of it goes too slow.
Why would an intelligent, thoughtful pilot like us go too slow when close to the ground (turn to final)?
Because of the vection (false motion) illusion.
At 1000ft/300 meters, the ground passes by slowly. At 200ft/60 meters, the ground passes more swiftly and *it feels as though we have sped up*!
Only with frequent glances at the ASI can we be confident of not having to respond to one of Tom Knauf's six signs of the stall. The seventh of which is the ground rushing up and the controls being all floppy.
This is independent of the shape of the circuit pattern...

This may be a factor for flatland pilots, who spend only a few seconds each flight flying near to the ground.

Many of us are flying near to ridges from the first flight of our training. If there is a wind and a suitable ridge near the airfield then pretty much every training flight will be doing this, especially in the winter. The concept of "safe speed near the ground" and how to judge it is drummed in to the student continuously.