Flying the Circuit in a Cessna 172, Leg by Leg — Learn to Fly, Episode 11

Upwind. Crosswind. Downwind. Base. Final. One lap of the airfield, and the runway is right back in front of us. In Episode 11 of Learn to Fly, your instructor Cindy flies a complete circuit at Wonderboom in a Cessna 172, from the take-off clearance to the touchdown, and explains every leg, every call to the tower, every check and every stage of flap on the way round. In this lesson: • What the circuit is, and why everyone flies the same path (in America, the traffic pattern) • The five legs: upwind, crosswind, downwind, base and final, and that "upwind" means something else in American books • Left-hand or right-hand: at Wonderboom, runway 29 has a right-hand circuit, north of the runway • Circuit altitude: 5,100 feet on the altimeter, about a thousand feet above the runway, and the two calls to the tower • The South African short callsign: once the controller shortens it, the last three letters (ZS-IHL is "India Hotel Lima") • Upwind and the after take-off checks, and when to turn crosswind • Downwind: the call, the downwind checks from the handbook's before-landing list, and steady spacing • Abeam the threshold: power back, flap ten, and the start of the descent • When to turn base, judging the height on base, and flap twenty • The turn onto final, full flap once lined up, and that "continue approach" is not a clearance to land • Why we never fix a wide turn with a steep or skidding one • Four mistakes students often make This series shows you what happens and why. It doesn't replace flying with a qualified instructor; always use your aircraft's own handbook and checklist and current local rules. Chapters 00:00 One lap of the airfield 00:17 What the circuit is 00:55 Five legs 01:34 Left-hand or right-hand? 01:59 Circuit altitude and the calls 02:32 Lined up: the take-off clearance 03:25 Upwind, and the after take-off checks 03:51 When to turn crosswind 04:16 Crosswind 04:58 Downwind, and the call 05:29 The downwind checks 06:03 Abeam the threshold: power back, flap ten 06:52 When to turn base 07:08 Base: judging the height 07:45 The turn onto final 07:58 Cleared to land 08:40 If the turn goes wide 08:54 Circuit speeds 09:16 The landing 09:43 Four common mistakes 10:25 Recap 11:19 Next time Next episode: approach and landing, the aim point, the lights beside the runway, the round-out and the touchdown. #LearnToFly #Cessna172 #FlightTraining