Point Cook RAAF Base Date circa 1962. Turn-backs practiced as a matter of course in Winjeels and Vampires. I was on subsequent Court of Inquiry when practice turn back from 400 ft resulted in incipient spin and heavy crash landing just inside the airfield fence. Aircraft caught fire on impact. Both instructor and student survived impact but burnt to death because canopy jammed. Fire crews watched helplessly. Circa 1960 now. Vampire crashed short of runway at East Sale following turn back. Unsure whether practice or real engine failure. Either way, both pilots killed on impact.
I disliked teaching turn-backs but it was part of CFS syllabus. As far as I am concerned it was a flashy mascho manoeuvre which was never the subject of measured flight test by a qualified ETPS test pilot. Many times we undershot after practice turn back and had to salvage it with power hurriedly applied. Real bad news with sometimes 15 knot downwind landing.
Fine in theory and maybe handy to have it up your sleeve - but it is a potentially dangerous manoeuvre which is best left to discussions on these pages rather than practicing bleeding. I understand the RAAF CFS still practice the manoeuvre in PC9 and the Royal Flying Doctor Service also do it on proficiency and conversion flying on the PC12. Best of luck to them - but not for this little black duck...