Questions on landing at a towered airport

Tman wrote:
* Do I really need to plan my descent so that I am TPA when reporting the
3-mile right base? I Really do not want to be. I'd rather be 2000 AGL,
which will give me a comfortable (but a little aggressive) descent with a
squarish pattern to the numbers, but also make much more feasible landing in
the airport environment, if not the numbers, should the engine stop. At
1000 AGL 3 miles out, there is just no hope of making the airport -- I'd
rather not be that low unless I really need to be. Is there any rule that
says I need to be at TPA when reporting to the controller points on the
pattern?

I see lots of good answers to your other questions in this thread but
only one quick "no" regarding this one. Safely gliding to the runway
is a consideration, but note that it's _much_ easier to see traffic
against the sky than against the clutter of the ground. Staying lower
will enable you to better see traffic in the pattern. In the event of
an unexpected power loss, a safe off-airport landing is for the most
part just as positive an outcome as a safe on-airport landing. I go a
little lower than you suggest, usually about 1000 AGL which is often
also TPA, for the good traffic visibility from a few miles out, as
long as I have options (not necessarily the runway) if the unexpected
should happen.

-R