I was flying at RAF Gutersloh with the Wing Commander Squadron Boss checking me out. The training underslung load was a couple of 45 gallon barrels full of water in a net. Having lifted the load to the hover and checked the power margin, I briefed that my intentions in the event of engine failure below single engined safe speed was to jettison the load.
On short finals, after a low level circuit in "Junkers Farm" and now below SESS, the Wg Cdr pulled back a throttle on me! (normally this was done by touch drills only, with the pilot stating / simulating his intentions. As this was a real engine failure I carried out the real drill as briefed and pressed the button!
The Boss knew what he'd done wrong as soon as the crewman called "Load Gone!" at about fifty feet agl (SPLAT!), his face was a picture
I passed my checkride but as the Boss had borrowed 18 Sqn's only training load (Wessex back then), he had some explaining to do.
