Can't really add to DFC's reply, except to debate the general issue of students starting aircraft on their own.
It's been my experience that this is fairly widespread in the industry, but it's not something I've ever allowed my students to do. The reason isn't related to safety - I'm quite happy for students to start aircraft on their own for solo x-countries, or to go to the fuel pumps, for example. But surely there is an element of instruction which needs to be given on starting an engine? Just watch any new student starting an engine, and you will realise that it is not a trivial task. Just because we have done it so many times we can do it blindfolded in our sleep, students still find it a long and complex process, compared to starting a car, for example. Even after going solo, although no direct instruction is involved, I've always felt that there is benefit in supervising the student's starting procedure, and correcting it if there are errors (which there invariably are, albeit minor ones, up to and beyond skills test). This needs to be balanced with the confidence which comes from operating "solo", but my students always got plenty of "solo" engine starts when going for fuel by themselves (strictly after first solo).
Now that I don't teach ab initio any more, I still have the same rules for my advanced students, who are almost all new to multi-engine aircraft and find the starting process almost as daunting as a new student finds starting a C152 due to the big increase in the number of dials and controls. I still catch quite advanced students reading off the checklist that they need to check the oil pressure, and then pointing at the CHT guage or the vacuum guage. Or the big one - confusing the MP with the RPM guage when setting idle power.
Any thoughts from others?
FFF
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