Originally Posted by
B2N2
..... No student of mine ever flew solo without having flown at least one pattern with the door open. ......
Quite. The doors on some 150s/152s I flew were quite adept at springing open so I always used to brief it to students ... and it quite often happened at least once during their training. Once the venturi effect opens the door a few cm, airflow takes over to keep it from opening any more - even if they try to push it open further.
Did have an amusing moment in later life when, in a Trislander, my pax passed a note up to me from the back explaining the rear-most door had opened as I rotated. As there were now, effectively, 2 pax sat back aft on one seat staring wide-eyed at the gap beside the other seat, I decided it was prudent to fly a quick circuit and land back on and sort it out. They took it in good spirit once I explained what had happened and what a non-event it was. Did have a quiet word with the ground staff who dispatched me when I next saw them tho!
