[gkey]

Maybe it is because I got scared witless one day when my gear refused to come down, or maybe because after pumping 97 times my arm was useless for a week afterwards, but I have a very healthy respect for the hydraulics system.

So, I lower my gear even before I enter the pattern, for the following reasons:
1. I want to pay full and complete attention to the gear lowering business - no distractions.
2. I want to know BEFORE I enter the pattern if I have a problem.
3. If I do have a problem, I am OUTSIDE of the busy traffic, I can break away to a quiter spot and do my troubleshooting there.
4. I can alert ATC if my problem is un-solvable, and give them time to clear the area and get ready for my pod-landing.
5. I can get color back to my face in time, because 'pale' does not look well on evening-news TV.