Question from a new flight student (whopping 7 hours!)

"Teacherjh" wrote in message
...

I've got to say that I've honestly never seen anyone leave the pattern
just
to re-enter on a 45.


I do sometimes, though I come over the airport 1000 feet above pattern
altitude.

Maybe I misunderstand the original statement, but the procedure you describe
doesn't have you leaving the pattern in order to re-enter on the 45. You
weren't in the pattern in the first place, since (by your own statement) you
were ABOVE the pattern.

I often overfly the airport, head out and come back on the 45. But I can't
recall a single instance when I was actually already on a legitimate leg in
the traffic pattern, made a turn away from the pattern for the purpose of
positioning myself on the 45, for the further purpose of re-entering the
pattern. That just sounds silly to me.

Pete