FL440, approaching Cardigan Bay on Hawk flight test. Next task on the schedule was a timed slam acceleration from flight idle to stabilised max RPM.
Slammed throttle as briefed. A couple of seconds later, heard very unpleasant sound from behind like herd of angry elephants in full stampede. Closed throttle sharpish - elephants just as quickly placated.
Now turned back towards base (seemed like good idea at the time). At insistence of very experienced back-seater, tried slam acceleration again. Elephants clearly not amused. Less experienced front-seater (but still sharp enough to realise that this was a surge and that we only had one donk) by now even less amused and distinctly unimpressed with slam acceleration testing as a means of earning a crust.
Found out that an 'Awk will glide half-way across the country from FL440 with enough height in hand to do a standard PFL on arrival - it just seemed to take a bloody long time...
