Distaff....
To answer your last question, ....yes. And it has the added advantage of teaching them how to fly it with a windmilling prop, so if they can out think the thing with a windmilling prop feathered will be a breeze.
You practice at a safe altitude and simulate the engine feather, shut down.
To teach how to feather and unfeather I have a simulator that I use in the zoo, it is a bunch of bananas that I give monkeys to teach them how to pull / push a lever. Or how to punch a button on some aircraft.
I would caution any aircraft instructor that uses over simplified ideas about depending on being at altitude over an airfield ensuring safety.
All it takes is one instance where missjudgement of the approach or a wind shift, turbulence etc. puts you low and behind the power curve and you are screwed.
By the way we do all our feathering and unfeathering checks on our radial engines, for the annual renewal in the hangar. the only precaution we take is we plug in an external electrical power supply.
Can someone please explain to me what real benefit you derive from looking at a feathered engine in flight? Why not just show them a picture.
It is very simple, propellor feathering mechanisms will either work when you activate them or they won't. A good argument for not feathering for practice would be the more often you use it the sooner it will wear out and not work the one time you need it.
And can someone tell me if you do full shut downs on piston engine airplanes in the winter? And if so has anyone come up with a minimum temperature where you think this would be prudent?
Cat Driver: