Just wondering.......

[beaky]

See my first post then, which seems to have got a little lost in the singular/plural discussion, and how I expect it stems from the "finals" turn - those nice pre-tricycle undercarriage curved approaches, where the final approach was the finals turn, and having nothing to do with the plural of final at all...

That's interesting, but still: why "finals" turn and not "final" turn? I'm more confused now than before... :-?

I will accept that the oval or racetrack pattern and the terminology probably originated at the CFS... I think prior to that almost all airfields were circular or at least arranged so pilots more or less circled in and landed straight into the wind.

[C]

See my first post then, which seems to have got a little lost in the singular/plural discussion, and how I expect it stems from the "finals" turn - those nice pre-tricycle undercarriage curved approaches, where the final approach was the finals turn, and having nothing to do with the plural of final at all...

That's interesting, but still: why "finals" turn and not "final" turn? I'm more confused now than before... :-?

I will accept that the oval or racetrack pattern and the terminology probably originated at the CFS... I think prior to that almost all airfields were circular or at least arranged so pilots more or less circled in and landed straight into the wind.

I think maybe that a "finals" turn is more preferable than a "final" turn. A "final" turn sounds a little morbidly terminal!

[Rifleman]

That's interesting, but still: why "finals" turn and not "final" turn? I'm more confused now than before... :-?

I will accept that the oval or racetrack pattern and the terminology probably originated at the CFS... I think prior to that almost all airfields were circular or at least arranged so pilots more or less circled in and landed straight into the wind.

I think maybe that a "finals" turn is more preferable than a "final" turn. A "final" turn sounds a little morbidly terminal!

Indeed Charlie, the "final" turn is nothing more than the last in a sequence of a circuit, which will complete the flight - one full departure from our fine planet and your subsequent arrival safely back on good old terra firma.......final turn brings you back to a heading with alignment for the intended runway (no more turns, maybe some minor corrections, but you've just made your final turn[only one] before landing)......nothing morbid about completing another successful venture away from the ground........"oh I have slipped the surly bonds"......ah, well you know  ;)