06 Circuit Introduction
CASA Recreational Pilot License (Aeroplane) — Lesson 6.
This lesson introduces the student to the standard circuit pattern at an aerodrome: the take-off, the five legs of the circuit, the approach, and the landing. The student has previously operated in the training area only — this is the first lesson where they fly a structured pattern in close coordination with other traffic. Touch-and-go practice may be included if the aircraft, aerodrome, and student’s progress all support it.
Theory Brief — Part 1: The Circuit Pattern and Take-off
Section titled “Theory Brief — Part 1: The Circuit Pattern and Take-off”The geometry of the five-leg circuit, why we take off and land into wind, how to read a windsock, and the take-off technique from line-up through climb to circuit height. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Theory Brief — Part 2: In the Circuit, Approach, and Landing
Section titled “Theory Brief — Part 2: In the Circuit, Approach, and Landing”Operating in the circuit (local procedures, traffic management, the hand-over technique), the three judgements that make up a stable approach (glide path, track, speed), the landing itself (round-out, hold-off, touchdown), and the touch-and-go procedure with its cautions. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Pre-flight brief
Section titled “Pre-flight brief”Short brief immediately before the flight (~0.3 hr): risk analysis (I’M SAFE, PAVE), the three-call hand-over technique, lookout via the clock code, today’s flight sequence with demonstration / hand-over progression across circuits, and a readiness recap. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
In-flight notes
Section titled “In-flight notes”Instructor kneeboard reference for the airborne sequence. These use a portrait layout for easier use on a kneeboard or device. View the slides on this page on the right or open the slides directly, or download the PDF of the in-flight notes to print or use on your device offline.
Post-flight debrief
Section titled “Post-flight debrief”TODO
Useful resources for students
Section titled “Useful resources for students”- The NZ Civil Aviation Authority has a circuit introduction whiteboard that summarises the pattern and the take-off / landing technique — suitable for the student to download for themselves.
- The NZ CAA also has a circuit considerations whiteboard covering common variations and decision points in the circuit.
- The FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, chapter 8 (Airport Operations), covers traffic patterns, approach profiles, and landing technique with clear diagrams (public domain).
Example email to students before the lesson
Section titled “Example email to students before the lesson”If you are an instructor, feel free to modify this for your own use. Sending an email a few days before a lesson is a great way to engage people in the learning before they even arrive (if they have time and capacity).
Subject: Lesson 6 — Circuit introduction
Hi [name],
This lesson is the one a lot of student pilots look forward to most — your first time flying the circuit at the aerodrome. So far we’ve been operating out in the training area; this lesson brings us back close to the runway, where everything happens a bit faster and you’ll be flying alongside other aircraft in a structured pattern.
Before our flight we’ll do two short theory sessions (~1hr total) covering the geometry of the circuit (the five legs and why they’re set up the way they are), why we take off and land into wind, the take-off itself, what happens on each leg of the circuit, the approach, and the landing. We’ll then do a short pre-flight brief (~0.3 hr) covering risk, the hand-over technique we’ll use every time we swap controls, and lookout in the busy circuit environment. The flight itself is around 1 hour — I’ll fly the first circuit and demonstrate, then progressively hand more of each subsequent circuit over to you.
If you’d like to prepare, the NZ CAA’s one-page Circuit Introduction whiteboard [1] is a clean visual reference. You could also work through the published briefings on this site beforehand [2].
When: [day]
See you then!