With regard to height and Vtoss h_f_d:
I fly a Seminole, which is a tad lighter than the Seneca, and possibly has a better power-to-weight ratio. However, I deal with the possibility of height loss while doing EFATO drills by specifying Vyse as a decision speed (and gear retraction speed) rather than Vtoss - 88kts versus approximately 68kts.
This has some benefits for low-time pilots unfortunate enough to get a real EFATO.
-They are already at a speed offering best performance.
-The acceleration profile means they are further from the ground before they have to deal with the EF by doing drills.
-If drills are required, the gear is already at least in transit if not up.
-Lastly, the point marking the end of the "close the throttles" region and the beginning of the "deal with it and then assess performance" region is where they retract the undercarriage - an EF after this point does not require thought about airspeed and height, but merely "have I retracted the gear or not?"
I know that to use a height and a speed in the manner you've described h_f_d, is more flexible and possibly more operationally orientated than my method. However, from reading it appears that it takes about five seconds from EF to the pilot reacting logically, and longer if the reaction requires thought / memory. I do worry about pilots I've trained killing themselves while thinking about what has just happened and what they should do.
Hmm. Sorry about the wordiness - hope the sense comes through.
regards to all,
O8
PS never had an engine failure. Book smarts only, hope to stay that way!
