I think what people might be saying is they have not had the "wind got it" experience. Reading through all of them most have different approaches (ha ha). As I would assume the people at your field do. Some have a as long as I got it down in one piece, others want to be spot on.

So in the case of landing, if you do not maintain speed or land correctly, yes I can see that your plane could/would just fall out of the sky. Most people do not practice landings, just the flying around part.

I read a book called "Proficient Flying", it covers landings very well. Basically use the elevator to adjust the attitude of the plane. Then use the throttle for ALTITUDE. You decrease throttle while maintaining a correct landing attitude to settle it down while under power.

The book also tells you to practice slow flight with your plane. Do this landing technique high up and see at what attitude your plane will stall. So when landing you don't stall. Some people will just come in high speed and chop the throttle. That to me is an uncontrolled landing. Come in too high with not enough power, guess what, you will fall out of the sky. Come in too low and fast, you go around or put it off the end. Maybe a gust of wind comes along just as the plane is already slowing, and at idle. Now - The wind got it!!! and it did, but due to the pilot not landing under power at a constant/proper attitude. The plane needs to be moving forward under power, nose up because if a gust comes along, it is like hitting the brakes right above the runway. Then hit the throttle and torque roll the plane into the ground.

As for downwind landings, who says you will not lose an engine on a downwind leg? You need to know how your plane handles. So it is ok to practice that. Remember to practice the slow flight up high. You can see how your plane handles the downwind leg this way. Can you keep the speed up and make a u turn? maybe, maybe not, but you can do it a few mistakes high.

Keep an eye out for how people come in. do they control their landings, or just come around chop it, and glide in while ballooning up and down. Or do they come in under low throttle, keeping the nose high and touchdown right where they want to?

One more thing it think is kind of funny. Watch for dead sticks. Most people hit the runway nearly right in front of them. Give the same guy power on landing and he is off the end, or too short. Just something I had noticed over the years.

just my .02