The same old chestnut!
Can it be done - yes
Does it need to be trained for and briefed diligently before take off - yes
Is the reality of a real engine failure vs a practice likely to affect the outcome - yes.
Interesting to see the RAF Woodvale Bulldog references. I was trained there in the late '80s to do turnbacks and it was a precision manoeuvre, towards the crosswind to reduce radius of turn and only used for certain runways that had housing estates or forests ahead of them.
Minimum height to commence was 450 ft and the first 90 degrees of turn was head down on instruments, 45 degrees of bank and pulling to the light buffet at best glide speed. Bear in mind there was no stall warner on the Bulldog as students were taught to feel the different stages of buffet.
The basic premise was not necessarily to land on the reciprocal runway, but to land or force land within the airfield boundary so as to be within the RFFS cover.
I know the boss of LUAS in 1997 was sadly unable to put theory into practice, hence my earlier remark about practice vs reality. However, Rod Newman did get his aircraft back into the perimeter area, rather than into the forest, when his student turned his fuel selector to off so it can work given the right circumstances.
My best friend of that time span into Southport beach and died in the post crash fire, but that is a different story
