REFLECTOR: Power settings

[Al Gietzen]

I just did a quick calc; 
If I fly a downwind about 3/4 mile off the runway, start my descent abeam
the end of the runway, and turn base when the end of the runway is a 45
degree angle behind me, and average about 85 kts during the descent, I have
to have an average decsent rate of about 700 fpm from a 1000' pattern
altitude.  The descent will last less than a minute and a half.

Other things being the same, a 500 fpm descent rate requires a downwind
about a mile from the runway.

FWIW,

Al