LEFT-HANDED
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The standard Circuit is left-handed - meaning that the aircraft is turning left after take-off and flies anti-clockwise. That's because the pilot is seated on the left side of the aircraft so this way they get the best view of their landing path and other aircrafts that may be in the circuit approaching the airport. Circuit is not a circle -it looks more like an irregular polygon with 4 rounded angles. The sections between them are called legs: take-off, crosswind, downwind, base and final. |
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ACCORDING TO THE WIND
Maybe you already know that the runway of the airport is built in the direction that is against the most common wind in the area - because it is safest to operate for the aircraft when flying into the wind during take-off and landing. More on The Runways.
So, once you take off (into the wind, via the take-off leg), and make the first left turn, you are in the crosswind leg. Then, after you make another turn, you get into the downwind leg - this one is more or less parallel to the runway and both take-off and final legs of the circuit. Finally, making one more left turn you get into the base leg.