Fun when I was a student...

[Ascend Charlie]

On an IF trip in the MB 326H Macchi, the student is in the back seat, with screens covering the canopy and no outside reference. Thus, the student couldn't land the aircraft, and the instructor would take over at the end of the flight and get Bloggs to peel back the screen between the two seats so he can see forward, usually to see the runway miles off to one side because he fouled up the approach.

On this particular day it had all turned to ****, and my instructor, "Beach Ball", took over to return to Pearce from Gin Gin, the satellite airfield 15 miles north. I knew the flight had been dismal, and as we whizzed in from the initial point at 250 knots, I thought that if I was going to have a bad day, Beach Bum would too. So I pulled the throttle back to idle and said "Practice!", the term for a simulated engine failure.

Ray's initial response was "You ******* little smartarse! I'll show you!", and zoomed to height to resume the glide profile of 150 knots, half speed-brake to simulate a windmilling engine, looking for a high key position abeam the threshold at 2500'. But from our position on initial run-in, all he could hope for was a dog-leg to wash off some height and then a straight-in approach. Well, he missed that dog-leg, lost too much height and speed, and would have crashed well short of the runway, so he had to power up to complete the landing.

Not much was said about that one in the debrief.

[SpazSinbad]

There is a film clip online also: https://www.navy.gov.au/biography/lieutenant-commander-raymond-john-godfrey

S2E Tracker Approach HMAS Melbourne to Carrier Landing

1Xie47XWWUE

[Bob Viking]

So let me get this straight. You were a student and you gave your instructor a simulated engine failure to p1ss him off?

How did that work out for you in the end?

BV

[622]

In my early days as a Gliding Instructor I can remember teaching cable breaks (simulated by pulling the release cable!)...after the various demos and practice, we then told the students they can expect them at any time..and obviously without warning!
So the plan was to go back to circuit bashing and leave it a few launches to settle them back into circuits before commencing the 'fun' of pulling their first simulated cable break.
..however, on this day my Student obviously thought he would help and pulled his own on the very next launch! .... now as an instructor you should always be prepared for a cable break...but that caught me completely by surprise and I must admit I was chuckling to myself as (IIRC) he made an ok job of it.
....Lesson learned to make sure the Student knows and understands the rules in future!

[Ascend Charlie]

Well, let's just say I still passed the course, but wasn't on the first promotions list...

[Gargleblaster]

When I was learning to glide, I could always predict the simulated cable break by watching my release handle, as it'd move ever so slightly when the instructor put his hand on his handle in preparation for pulling it a few seconds later :-)

At my PPL exam (check ride), I got a simulated engine failure, did everything right, and we then aborted the landing really late, at around 100 ft, right above a farmhouse. Afterwards, at safe altitude, as usual, I announced that I was going to clean up the plane (flaps back in, carb heat back off, etcetera). When I got to the electrical backup fuel pump and clicked it back off, the examiner pulled the throttle to idle without saying anything. I then went through the checklist again, and when I clicked the fuel pump on, power came back. It was the fuel pump, stupid ! I urged the flight school to change procedures, so people would be prepared for such, but they said it was impossible to predict in such detail what each examiner expected to happen or not happen during a check ride.

[megan]

AC, just as well Ray was Navy, had it been RAAF you would have bee out the gate most likely, they rarely had a sense of humour.

[Ascend Charlie]

Ray and I got along quite well, he knew my brother from Vietnam, and he had the down-to-earth (!) attitude that somebody from below decks carries with them. My previous instructor was Magilla, so I was rather relieved to be with Beach Ball.

[Sleeve Wing]

A few years when I was doing a biannual check on a well-known pilot in a Yak 52. I as usual made a little preparation for the unexpected.
It was autumn time and I had checked with a local strip that we could land there if we needed to.
Obviously the trip had gone well and I had got the unknowing pilot into a position where we could safely land off a practice engine failure should he spot the previously mentioned strip.
And that’s exactly what happened......
He spotted the strip, positioned for a PFL and then opened up for the go-around and nothing happened ! Immediately he selected flaps up, delayed the gear extension and we landed quietly, and flapless, on the 600 metre runway. There was no one else around so we waited for 10 minutes, started up with no problems, did a full power check and returned to our base airfield.
Yep, you got it in one.
Autumn - cold - damp - high humidity - little carb ice prevention/clearance with appropriate selection on a YAK 52/M14P engine in the glide, even with regular engine warming.

Moral - never assume...........

PS. I wouldn’t have dared to “fail” an engine on any of my instructors. Arrogance ? How the world has changed.

[Barksdale Boy]

I do hope Magilla is still with us. He stayed a weekend at my cottage in Waddington village (he was doing a course at Manby) - kept hitting his head on the low beams and called my baby son, now 52, "Red Leader"!

[Mogwi]

A few years when I was doing a biannual check on a well-known pilot in a Yak 52. I as usual made a little preparation for the unexpected.
It was autumn time and I had checked with a local strip that we could land there if we needed to.
Obviously the trip had gone well and I had got the unknowing pilot into a position where we could safely land off a practice engine failure should he spot the previously mentioned strip.
And that’s exactly what happened......
He spotted the strip, positioned for a PFL and then opened up for the go-around and nothing happened ! Immediately he selected flaps up, delayed the gear extension and we landed quietly, and flapless, on the 600 metre runway. There was no one else around so we waited for 10 minutes, started up with no problems, did a full power check and returned to our base airfield.
Yep, you got it in one.
Autumn - cold - damp - high humidity - little carb ice prevention/clearance with appropriate selection on a YAK 52/M14P engine in the glide, even with regular engine warming.

Moral - never assume...........

PS. I wouldn’t have dared to “fail” an engine on any of my instructors. Arrogance ? How the world has changed.

Aye, had something similar happen a few years ago at the bottom of a 4-turn spin with a well-known TP in a Yak 52. Throttle absolutely jammed in the idle position but at 3000 ft over the centre of the 10,000ft runway of a secret Wiltshire airbase (closed for the W/e) I decide that even I couldn’t cock this one up! Set up a nice easy pattern with a gently chuntering engine and throttle freed up as we started the finals turn.

Good intro to the Yak for said TP!

Apologies for the drift.

Mog

[212man]

PS. I wouldn’t have dared to “fail” an engine on any of my instructors. Arrogance ? How the world has changed.
Given that AC is retired, I don't think he qualifies as 'yoof of today', so probably more socio-geographical than age related......

[Timelord]

I did once have a mate, in the RAF, whose glittering prospects as an RN Sea King pilot came to an abrupt end when he panned his instructor following an unfortunate misunderstanding over the position of the undercarriage.

[Jack D]

So let me get this straight. You were a student and you gave your instructor a simulated engine failure to p1ss him off?

How did that work out for you in the end?

BV

What a strange thing to do, I trust you either knew your instructor very well and he owed you a big favour, or transport from the training base had been organized to speed your return to civilian life .

[Ascend Charlie]

Jack, as stated above, BB was mates with my brother, and we got along rather well. I had been having a poor flight, and he showed that he, too, could have a bad result from a PFL.

Lighten up, Francis.

[Ascend Charlie]

One of my coursemates was also on an IF trip, under the Macchi hood, with the last approach being an NDB into Gin Gin. It starts at 20,000' and the MDA is 1100'. Bloggs was under some pressure to get it right, and was a bit rushed as he started the outbound leg and descent, idle / speedbrake / 220kt. Done his 2 minutes, turn to intercept inbound track, oops, here's 1100', level off, must not descend below it, that's an instant failure. Track to overhead the Gin Gin NDB.

Instructor takes over, Bloggs relaxes a little, until instructor rolls inverted and starts a pull-through. Bloggs thinks he is about to die, you can't do that from 1100', and reaches for the seat pan handle. Hang on, he won't intentionally kill me, wait and see what happens. Then the realisation that he had levelled out at 11,000'.

Bloggs went on to be an Air Vice Marshal.

[ShyTorque]

I blacked out my IRE during a limited panel UP recovery on an IRT test in a single jet. By the time he woke up I was established in the climb. He never admitted it and I still passed.

[Busta]

FHT Oakington , Sqn boss in RHS. Standard profile, "suspected engine failure" after take off, circuit and go around. Standard visual departure toward the March marshaling yards for general handling. Steep turns, Stall in clean configuration, went well.
"Now show me a stall in the approach configuration", I respond " this is aircraft tail letter S, Form 700 specifically prohibits stalling in the approach config". " Who is the captain of this aeroplane?, you are sir, " show me a stall in the approach configuration", "yessir". FIRAD, HASEL, FOAL,. Clearing turns, gear down, flap down, crinkly chip levers set, power reducing, high nose attitude, floppy controls etc. Rapid, violent flick to the inverted, marshaling yards now above the aircraft, nose dropping, "what are your intentions?" " I can lower the nose , gain speed, overstress the flaps, or give you control. " which do you choose?", " you have control. sir".
Recover to base, low speed handling check, land normally. Imagine my surprise to learn that I had passed. Funny old life!

[diginagain]

Asking my IRE if he'd burned his breakfast toast on a Monday morning IRT produced a rather surprising "I HAVE CONTROL" and an immediate RTB. Not another word was exchanged.

Debriefed by OC ARW, I discovered that my Examiner had torched the AAC hot-air balloon that weekend, and was rather sensitive about it.

[meleagertoo]

On the subject of late-notice or inappropriate practice engine failures this tale is many years old but almost certainly true and I believe more or less correctly related here, though doubtless others will correct any errors.

One day the CO and Senior Pilot of a certain RN training squadron were doing mutual instructor revalidations when, at almost zero airspeed and 100ft the pilot currently flying announced,"You have control" immediately followed by "Practice engine failure, Go!" as he rolled the throttle closed. The second pilot, not wishing to have the ensuing accident occur in his hands replied "Oh no you c***, you have control!" and put both hands up in the air to reinforce his point.
The affair did not end happily as even a Whirlwind could not cope with a stunt like that and the subsequent rancour between the two crew did little to enhance their personnel files I imagine.

[Ninthace]

Check ride in a glider with the CFI. Having got me very low among the trees on a Chilterns ridge, the back seat gives me control and asks me what I am going to do about it. "Head back to the airfield 250 ft ago. " apparently was not the required response.

Similar thing on a very long ridge in Germany. It isn't going well, the ridge is only working marginally, suddenly we come across a quarry. As we flop in, back seat says, "I hope they don't use dynamite in here". After many beats back and forth trying to work our way out again, the back seat pipes up. "On the other hand, if they don't use dynamite, we could be here all day."
Finally we get free and scuttle back whence we came along the ridge, which now seems to only be working halfway up. I am almost past the bird strike stage and getting close to the squirrel strike stage so I am beginning to think the fields at the bottom of the ridge have a certain rustic charm. Suddenly the back seat decides to contribute once more.
" 'Ere have you seen our shadow?"
Pregnant silent pause.
" 'Tain't half big!"

They say the art of good instructing is knowing when to intervene, he had more faith in me than I did. For the record we got back with just enough for a quarter of a circuit.

[MightyGem]

I blacked out my IRE during a limited panel UP recovery on an IRT test in a single jet. By the time he woke up I was established in the climb. He never admitted it and I still passed.
That must have been some recovery!

[Jump Complete]

In my early days as a Gliding Instructor I can remember teaching cable breaks (simulated by pulling the release cable!)...after the various demos and practice, we then told the students they can expect them at any time..and obviously without warning!
So the plan was to go back to circuit bashing and leave it a few launches to settle them back into circuits before commencing the 'fun' of pulling their first simulated cable break.
..however, on this day my Student obviously thought he would help and pulled his own on the very next launch! .... now as an instructor you should always be prepared for a cable break...but that caught me completely by surprise and I must admit I was chuckling to myself as (IIRC) he made an ok job of it.
....Lesson learned to make sure the Student knows and understands the rules in future!
A couple of years ago, as a lapsed glider pilot (but working professional pilot), I was flying with an instructor who had briefed me that on one of the two flights, we would have a winch launch failure. On flight one, as I transitioned into the climb there was an loud bang, which i took to being the instructor pulling the bung. I pulled the release 3 times, lowered the nose announced ‘cable break, landing ahead.’
The instructor chuckled and said ‘ okay, good.’
After we landed he explained that I had given myself the cable break, not him, and the bang was just the strop pulling straight. (Something new to me as a 80 hour glider pilot.) Anyway, he passed me on the launch failure part of the check flight!

[ShyTorque]

That must have been some recovery!

Yes, I was under the hood and flying on turn and slip meter, altimeter and ASI. I worked out afterwards that he had carried out half a gentle barrel roll, stopped rolling and given me control just as we were fully inverted and the nose dropped below the horizon. I carried out the recovery drill as taught, which was to unload to 1G (so the turn and slip didn’t overread), put the T&S needle in the middle and pull until the descent stopped. Because we were inverted it was one hell of a pull; in the early part of my recovery the more I pulled the more the altimeter unwound. By the time I twigged, the only option was to keep pulling until the nose came back above the horizon the long way round. The IRE’s chin snapped down onto his chest at about 4G and I pulled to just under 6, so he was out for quite a few seconds! He woke up and twitched for a short while, looked around the cockpit and after a while just told me to recover to base for an ILS, which went very well and we landed. I was convinced I’d failed but the UP recovery was barely mentioned and with no criticism so I just kept quiet!