Ts and Ps on the groud roll

[fireflybob]

If the T&P were normal during the pre-take off engine run-up, then you are wasting your time to double check again a minute or so later after selecting full throttle.

Sorry I can't agree with that - engines and attached components are more likely to fail at full power settings. Engine run ups are conducted at modest RPMs e.g. 2000 RPM.

Of course one should be paying attention to what is going on outside the cockpit but a well trained and competent pilot is quite capable of a quick check of the engine parameters as soon as full power has been selected.

[Centaurus]

but a well trained and competent pilot is quite capable of a quick check of the engine parameters as soon as full power has been selected.

"A well trained and competent pilot". Agree. But the problem is the solo student pilot who by definition is inexperienced. I would have thought the last thing he needs to do is having his head inside the cockpit at the start of the take off run and then half way down the take off run, searching for the oil pressure and the oil temperature an even a CHT gauge. And what are the tolerances of these gauges? How about the night take off or even a crosswind take off where pilot concentration on directional control is vital.

A student or inexperienced pilot usually remembers what his instructor tells him when it comes to important safety advice. If the instructor tells him to always check the T and P's at full throttle just where a early swing on take off usually will occur, then he could be setting the student up for a possible directional control problem. For an inexperienced pilot it takes only a couple of seconds of undetected yaw on take off to be in trouble especially if he happens to be looking at a particular engine gauge and deciding if what he sees dictates an abort.

For example if the oil pressure needle wavers at full throttle does that mean an abort? Will the oil temperature red line during a take off run when it was normal during the run up a few minutes early? I don't think that would happen.

Many years ago, there was a spectacular accident at Horn island in Australia where a Lockheed Hudson pilot happened to check his T&P's of his two engines during the late part of the take off run. He saw one oil pressure needle flickering significantly Everything had been normal during the run-up a few minutes earlier. He immediately closed the throttles and abandoned the take off run thinking he was about to have an engine failure.

The Hudson went off the end of the runway and was a write-off. Investigation revealed there was nothing wrong with either engine and the cause of the flickering oil pressure could not be determined.

For inexperienced pilots the priority during the early part of take off is not what a T&P needle may or may not show you, but directional control. That applies to jet transports as well as Cessna singles. IMHO, of course.

[fireflybob]

For inexperienced pilots the priority during the early part of take off is not what a T&P needle may or may not show you, but directional control.

Centaurus, I'm in agreement with you here. But in the long term I think pilots should be taught to do both with, obviously, emphasis on control.