Robert M. Gary wrote:
The problem is that you'll never be able to do the same thing at the
same time everytime. ATC may ask you to switch to a straight in,
traffic may start to take off the opposite direction on the runway,
etc. I sure hope I'll never land gear up, but I'm going to continue to
live with the idea that its just out there waiting to happen to me on
every flight.


Agreed. To clarify my statement about doing the same thing every time,
I should have been more specific. A quick GUMP check will always keep
you out of trouble regardless of where in the pattern you do it. It's
OK to have a healthy fear of a gear-up landing, just don't accept it as
inevitable as that old saying refers to (two kinds of pilots...)
Distractions do happen, and that's where training should take over. The
same guy at my old airport that bellied in his Baron almost did it a
second time a year later. He got distracted by LL turbulence and was
over the threshold when an eagle-eyed controller sent him around.