In all the time I've been enjoying FSFS I haven't tried circuit mode, and have just done so for the first time.  I hasten to add that I've done many successful circuits, but NOT in circuit mode.  What my usual circuit is, is to take off and at 500' turn left crosswind, continuing to ascend until 1000' when I reduce throttle, turn onto downwind, and immediately start to prepare for landing by reducing speed AT THAT POINT, lowering flaps, and turning onto base in landing configuration as I see the end of the runway IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER (Numpad 1 or hat switch).

OK, so here's what happened when I tried circuits (which I've attempted a few times)

1. I started off by lining up, having set the runway direction into the OBS and entering "Ready for take-off" mode (I have Voice Pack), and then entered circuit mode.  No verbal response but the confirmatory message appeared at the top of my screen.

2. After take off, I maintained runway heading till 500'.  If I turned cross-wind at this point, I got various messages from the instructor such as "Do not descend while taking off".  So  I waited for the instructor to tell me to turn crosswind.  He indeed did so, when I was quite far out, but I had been continually getting various messages intimating that I was still taking off. 

3. After turning cross-wind I continued at 1000' waiting for further instructions which didn't come.  The instructor regularly said that I was to maintain 1000' on downind until base - but I wasn't on downwind yet. I was pretty far out when I was instructed to turn downwind, and regularly got the message "You should not be descending whilst taking off" which I ignored.

4. I maintained 1000' until I saw the end of the runway over my left shoulder, where I usually turn (in the middle of the screen in rear 45 degree view), but was not instructed to turn onto base.  So I continued until the instructor eventually told me to turn base.  I did so, and started to descend with many messages of "You should not be descending while taking off", and "Don't lower flaps while cruising" and eventually was instructed to turn to final

5. I turned to final but was certainly not aligned with the runway at this point.  Eventually I managed to do so - more messages of "You should not be descending while taking off", and eventually I landed.  It was clear that FSFS was not registering the points in my flight as part of a circuit.

6. My final report was as follows, but before pasting it below, I just want to say that, however well I do, I always get the "Definite room for improvement" message, and unless I rotate well before the instructor tells me to rotate, I inevitably get the "late rotation" comment in my report - as I did in the report below, in spite of the fact that I actually rotated before instructed to do so. You'll also note the comments below about taxiing-but I didn't taxi.  I went straight into take-off mode.  Poor old Mr Smith seems to be very confused when I fly circuits.

So if you can un-confuse me on what's happening and what I'm doing wrong to make FSFS recognize that I'm doing circuits, I'd appreciate it.

Cheers

Stan

LightSpeed piloting Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Kangan Batman TAFE by RealAir Simulations ended Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 21:32

Aircraft: Cessna    ID: VH-KBT    Airline:     Flight:
Flight plan: CZBB TO CZBB    NAV1:
Failure(s): None at landing
Failure Event(s) (Zulu Time): None
Failure Bonus:0%   Flight Duration:00 Hours   11 Mins   06 Secs

Landing Score:60.10

Landing was successful in the following areas:
* Good alignment with runway on visual approach.
* Gentle touchdown.
* Wings were level.
* Distance from touchdown target (visual approach): 149 feet
* Good pitch control after touchdown.
* Good pitch at landing.
* With flaps - good job.
* Heading aligned with runway.
* Throttle(s) idle.
* Good controlled final descent to touchdown.
  
Landing included the following problems:
* No glideslope information was available on visual approach.
* Too fast - you had to force the plane to stay down.
* No glideslope - could not compare flare to glideslope.
* Poor steering after landing - stay on the centre line.
Definite room for improvement...

Circuit Score:0.00

Circuit included the following:
* Good Upwind heading.
* Good Upwind altitude.
* Good turn onto Crosswind leg.
* Good Crosswind heading.
* Good Crosswind altitude.
* Late turn onto Downwind leg - turn Downwind on reaching 1000 feet AAL.
* Poor Downwind heading - fly parallel to the runway.
* Poor Downwind altitude - maintain 1000 feet AAL.
* Late turn onto Base - turn when circuit reference point is 45 degrees behind you.
* Good Base heading.
* Good Base altitude.
* Late on Final - get onto final sooner next time.
* Banking not too steep.
* DownWind circuit leg too long [378] secs.
* Landing distance from Circuit reference point:167 feet.
Definite room for improvement...

Flight Score:88.66

Flight commended in the following areas:
* Smooth turns.
* Nice banking.
* Correct matching of flaps to speeds.
* Comfortable G forces.
* Smooth pitch control.
* Flown within aircraft's maximum speed limit.
* Gentle taxi turns.
* Good take off steering.
* Appropriate position of flaps during taxi.
* Safe taxi speed.
* Smooth braking during taxi.
* Wings level near ground.
* Well coordinated turns.
* No stalls.
* No flying dangerously close to stall speed.
* Pitch not too high.
* Pitch not too low.
* Flaps down on time.
* Approach speed not too fast.
* Low altitude speeds not too fast.
* Good clearance of obstacles.
  
Flight included the following problems:
* Late rotation - when Vr is reached - take off.
* Loss of altitude during takeoff - climb smoothly.
* Rapid descent - dangerous and uncomfortable.
Definite room for improvement...

How can we help?

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I may be able to help you with MR smith not recognising what flight mode you are in...during circuit mode i find that on going from crosswind to downwind or reaching you 1000 ft altitude, advance flight mode to cruising and the same with moving from downwind to base, advance flight mode to landing.

DownWind circuit leg too long [378] secs.

Landing distance from Circuit reference point:167 feet.

I believe these two points from your circuit evaluation, affect the score quite a bit but confirmation from the more experienced FSFS pilots would clarify this.

Hope this helps or more to the point i hope I'm correct

SO... we're on downwind at about 100 kias.  FSFS expects you to maintain 1000' until you're established on base.  But obviously you have to slow down somewhere to Initial Approach Speed, otherwise you're not going to have enough time to do this on base, since you're not that far out from the runway if you make your turns to crosswind and downwind promptly at 500' and 1000' respectively according to the circuit mode parameters.  I have found that if you start descending, even on base, before being properly established on the correct base heading, your instructor objects - and you lose points.

Then of course you have to start extending flaps somewhere.  Gotta be careful here, because if you change flight mode too early, your instructor will tell you that you should extend flaps if you intend to land and you may not be ready for this.  So you should only change to landing mode when on base, not on downwind. It's all happening very fast within this small circuit area so you've got to be on your toes (well not literally 'cos you're already up in the air).

Lets look at that excellent book by Michael Love, called Better Takeoffs and Landings, which is a very authoritative and accepted work for real-life pilots.  He explains it as follows, starting downwind at pattern altitude, approximately 1000' AGL.  All fine so far:

"As the pilot approaches abeam (of your touchdown point - looking in left view you will see the touchdown point in the middle of your screen) he will reduce power to 1700 rpm (the figure quoted in his example - but he adds "remember to use your aircraft's recommended power settings")

continuing....

At this point it becomes necessary to reduce the airspeed to initial approach settings.  Begin gradually raising the nose, allowing you to reduce the airspeed and maintain pattern altitude.  Once you have reache the target airspeed (about 75 knots in the 172), you will slightly release back pressure on the yoke.  Airspeed should remain at 75 and the aircraft will begin a descent. (here we're differing from FSFS which requires that you don't start descending yet at this point). 

Begin your turn to base at the 45 degree angle to touchdown.  (remember you'll be in a descending attitutude at this point according to Love's book.  My reference point is the 45 degree view over my left shoulder and the touchdown point exactly in the middle of my screen).  After turning onto base, you can extend your first notch of flaps. 

While on base, your airspeed and power settings should remain constant. 

.....

Once on final you can extend the second notch of flaps and reduce your airspeed to final approach speed (about 65 kias).  etc. etc."

I have also seen other references where they advise you to start to descend and extend the first notch of flaps on downwind, prior to turning to base. 

So it seems that the possible variations of opinion relate to the point at which you start descending, and when you start extending flaps, and of course when to start reducing speed to inital approach speed.

Squad. Leader - Ole - any other readers - how do you guys see all this? I'm very curious to have your opinions and particularly to how FSFS has been designed.

Stan