And whoever decides I'm a fool, I challenge you to one of two things:
a) demonstrate one at 500' in your C172 or PA28... on a 500m runway on a nil wind day (without dying);
How about an RV10 from 400' back onto an 800m runway? We have video of that.
C172 is what I was taught to do them in - I would want to be a fair bit higher in a Pa28 than a 172.
bearing in mind that the pilot killed at Caboolture was a 747 Captain, ie. experienced, and see what happened?
We have no evidence yet as to exactly what he was trying to do. The fact he was a 744 Captain indicates only his experience in a Boeing which has ZERO relevance to a LSA type. He may have been very skilled
and current in LSA as well, or not - I don't know. He was a very nice fella.
Saying that a 180 turn back to the departure runway is suicide
no matter the circumstances is just plain ignorant.
It depends.
Having said all that I AM NOT AN ADVOCATE of teaching them to inexperienced pilots. I am also
not real sure about putting that video up here again - if only because you always worry in the back of your mind that some pilot who is not as skilled as he would like to be will decide that if CC can do it so can he.
I showed Jaba it could be done in HIS aeroplane because he asked me about it and I knew from previous experience flying his RV10 that, given its general gliding characteristics, it was highly likely HIS aircraft could do it quite well....and it can. We simulated a bunch at a safe height first.
We also had a very long conversation centered around the risks involved and the circumstances under which it MIGHT be an acceptable choice.