East River turning radius

EridanMan wrote:
How is this turn any different (at all) then a tight traffic pattern?

Based on what I've seen, that's how it should be handled. Flaps down,
Approach speed, stabalize... determine the winds, and make a nice
crisp, 20 degree-of-bank turn into them.

People screw up the base-to-final turns. Usually they just overshoot
and don't hit anything. Sometimes they stall and spin in, but small
airplanes balling it up off the end of the runway don't make the
national news.