Diving at runway from 1000'
Why do spectacular dives at the ground in a Viscount from just 1000'? I often wondered that myself as a trainee, but I was only 19 at the time and on initial four-engine conversion. I expect it would come in useful if you'd forgotten to descend below 1000' during final approach and, coincidentally, all four engines failed as you passed over the approach lights! I suppose it was to trigger the immediate response necessary for recovery from engine loss at low altitude so as avoid a stall and to effect an emergency landing.
My principal concern about doing unusual dive manoeuvres from 13000' on Oscar Mike a week before the Tuskar Rock crash was the effect on the tail structure of VMO dives with, first, sudden negative G in forcefully attaining at least 45 degree nose down as rapidly as possible to reach VMO (or whatever it was called in 1968), and then the less stressful level out at lower altitude (around 4000' if I recall correctly). I never heard whether the subject of my letter to the Inquiry was considered a possible factor in the accident, especially since the loss of tail elements was always part of the speculation.