Wade Hasbrouck writes:

If you are overtaking planes, you obviously should have waited longer before
making your downwind to base turn... The general rule I was taught for the
172 is, provided you haven't "creeped in on your downwind", once the
landing traffic passes your wing tip, you can begin your turn to final and
it works out just about right... some times I will wait just a little bit
longer just to give a little extra space.

Hmm ... so I go crosswind, downwind, base, final, right? If I'm on
the downwind leg, then wouldn't I be turning to base before final?
I'm having trouble visualizing this.

If I hear "make right downwind," I take this to mean (based on what
I've read) that I should join the downwind leg at some point at a
45-degree angle, and that the pattern is one in which all turns are
right turns (and thus is to the right of the runway, as seen by
someone coming straight in).

It has also been my experience that planes in MSFS are unrealistically slow
in getting off the runway, as planes would "camp out" for a bit on the
runway before leaving it, resulting in a the tower giving a go-around. It
was really frustrating, as I know that is not typical in real life.

Good. I try to get off the runway quickly myself.

Too bad there isn't a Virtual FAA in MSFS that you put on those Virtual
Pilot's butts....

They all sound and behave the same. As it is, there's hardly every
anyone in the pattern, except maybe for one other aircraft, so one
can't easily simulate flying a busy pattern. Then again, given my
current lack of skill in flying patterns, there might be bodies and
aircraft chunks flying everywhere if I had to negotiate a pattern with
other aircraft in it.

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