Link to the AOPA/UND landing pattern safety study:

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...lized-approach

No doubt in my mind which is the safer way to fly a pattern - the one that doesn't require rolling into and out of several 90 turns at low altitude...

I hope they also evaluate the best way to enter a pattern - The beauty of using the overhead entry to downwind (See AIM for details) is that if you know the field elevation, an overhead pattern will always put you at the same place on downwind relative to your landing aim point, regardless of whether it's your home airfield or someplace you have never been before. Combined with a 180 turn to land, it makes arrivals and landings reliably repeatable and consistent - and safer, IMO (and apparently in the opinions of most militaries, etc...).

Looking at this image of experienced pilots landing (cribbed from a previous post, thanks!) http://noss.ws/temp/patterns.jpg, I see only ONE trace that is a classic square pattern, with a couple more that are a bit less angular. The rest seem to be more or less continual turns to final.

Kirk
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