RE: Downwind turn Myth
Well, I think you're applying aerodynamic principles in an oversimplified manner or worse yet in an out of context manner, the same way Jehova's Witness's quote out of the bible. If we can ignore drag, slippage, aircraft front to aft asymmetry, and skin slipperiness in an aircrafts design and performance it's like saying a 10-6 propeller advances 6" with every revolution - not only it doesn't advance 6" but the speed and efficiency and actual advance are effected by numerous variables. While to real pilots of FS I bet we're splitting hairs of things that don't matter much, in our academic discussion these things matter greatly. In summary, 2-3 equations have been applied to a 5-6 equation problem, you have an ok applied result but an absolute failure to prove the original premise.
I appreciate that some persons arguments were based on ground-reference to the pilot and agree that those arguments don't prove or disprove anything of the original premise as that's another subject entirely.