[QUOTE=StickWithTheTruth;10019990]
The approach of testing full static power is an interesting one and I'm assuming not many of us would have done that before, or had to do it before, however it does seem quite valid. My only concerns though are that if you're pushing the envelope that far that you need to do this, then you may have been outside the safe and legal envelope for the aircraft performance. Or... you're panicking a little as performance had degraded not that badly, it just possibly scared you as you're not used to that level of performance. Where would you have drawn the line if you didn't get full rpm that you'd get at sea level during your static run-up?
/QUOTE]
I was well within the envelope and I would describe my state of mind as panicking. Climbing out of YHOT with terrain slightly rising at a density altitude of about 7,000', hence climb performance was vastly different from sea level ops, brought to the front of mind my question about leaning as you climb because I never have done it. If it does produce more power without damaging the engine, then a greater climb rate would have given me more peace of mind.
With only a few hundred hours under my belt I still constantly think about the what ifs of an engine failure in my flight planning, before flight on takeoff, just after takeoff and the whole flight! As I said, given the terrain was rising and my climb performance was sub (sea level) standard, my margin of safety (for a glide to an appropriate level) was not increasing as quickly as I am use to.
P.S. You have to be joking (or he was) about the 172 pilot with the stall warning consistently going off?!?!?! I flew into Mt Beauty the other day and back to Porepunkah. There's no way I'd do a straight out departure in any direction except straight out the Kiewa Valley. Circle around the airfield to gain height and enjoy the incredible scenary - most spectacular place I've flown into!