Practice Abort on T/O

Any CFI out there make their studs practice abort just after airborne? I was out preflighting the T-28 this morning and I hear a single engine plane taking off...which I generally ignore...until I hear the power abruptly cut to idle. I turn to see some four-place Cherokee-looking thing at about 100 feet at mid runway returning to the runway uneventfully. I assumed the pilot aborted for some reason. They then taxi back to the mid point on our runway and take off from point center. I think it’s weird. What say ye(all)?

 

My CFI did it somewhat regularly. He’d also randomly pull power in the pattern. Other times, he’d throw a open a door immediately after liftoff just to see what you’d do.

 

Offhand, I would tell him that if he was in such a hurry to get out of the airplane, he should have said something before takeoff. I actually had this happen when my instructor yelled at me to "Land in that field!" As the airplane stopped rolling he jumped out to take a LONG pee. He had the habit of drinking a glass of hot water in the morning and it was doing what it was supposed to do. What are you supposed to do if the instructor opens a door? As long as everything is making the correct noise and the door stays on the hinges ...I'd ask him to close the damn thing.

 

Personally I don't think it is a good idea, i.e on take-off. In the pattern when you know you can make the runway is ok.

 

I’m kinda with you. I think it’s kinda dumb to make a stud land on the 2000 feet remaining under your 100 feet of air just to prove you can do it. I guess if it was thoroughly briefed as a capabilities demo I’d be semi okay with it. Anywhere else is fine.

 

Only in the sim. We did power off landings from mid-field.

 

I remembered an incident where I was flying with a high timer friend in a clipped wing Champ. When I was on final, he was in the back seat and kept back pressure on the stick to play around and screw up my approach. Half way down the runway I was way too high and after taking back the airplane I put it into a steep slip and landed with a bit of room to spare. That airplane had to have been the worst that I had ever flown. Clipped wings and a 125 Lycoming proved to be a horrible combination. It didn't climb well, maneuvered like mush, and dropped like brick when power was reduced. Never figured out wether it was high span loading, high wing loading, wrong wing section, just flat a bad idea, or all of the above.

 

Sorry, but having some dude f’ng with the controls while I fly will make it the last time I ever fly with them...instructor or not. They’ll also get the full brunt of my @$$-chewing as soon as I figure it out. Transfer of aircraft control is a huge safety issue. Riding controls is one thing but it it should never cause, prevent, or even remotely resist an input from the pilot who has control. There may be very few exceptions that I can think of...like when I bracket the back of the throttle quadrant on short final when shallow and the stud doesn’t have the runway made yet.

 

I understand your response. You are a professional and we were not. But, my friend and I flew together many times and we knew and trusted each other. He was not an instructor but he had many hours of flying dusters and antiques...like me. Subtle jokes were expected but none of them were pushed to the point of endangering anyone. Our flying was not "serious" but it wasn't reckless and those with whom I flew were many times ex-military from WW2 and many were active airline pilots. The field where all this went on was unique and full of antiques , one dating to 1913, and and a wide cross section of homebuilts. The antiquers and homebuilt guys were always "crossing breeds" and flew each other's airplanes when an invitation was offered. There was a complete absence of sophistication and status, it was a bunch of flyers that enjoyed the art of flying everything at hand AND the fellowship of the birds of the flock.The FAA called it the "Twilight Zone Of Aviation" . There was never an accident that involved any of us and there were plenty of spontaneous aerobatic routines that irrupted on weekends. However, the Spam Can fraternity provided enough to keep the feds busy. We had a lot of fun and some of the kids of the gang ended up as airline pilots, one of mine was one. Our Clown Act evolved from here and several air show aerobatic routines were spawned by the homebuilders. Flying there is one of my finest memories.

 

Got to thinking about Thun Field again and thought that I would add the P-38 that was there with its owner, a WW2 P-38 Ace that shot down 5 FW-190's in 15 minutes. He had two 1929 and 1930 Monocoupes and a 1939 Student Prince that we flew many times. There was a P-51 for a while, then there were Curtiss Robins, a 1930 Corbin Baby Ace with a 40hp Salmson radial that sounded like a sewing machine, a Waco Taper Wing, a Waco 10, a Porterfield Eaglet, a 1941 Monocoupe, Waco UPF-7, Stearman PT-13, a Buhl Bull Pup with a three cylinder Sekeley, a Curtiss Junior, and more homebuilts than I can recall right now.

 

I forgot Pete Bowers Flybaby, Pietnpol, and his 1913 replica Curtiss biplane.

 

Bob- You could pick up a brand new P-38L directly from Lockheed for $1200 when the war ended. The good old days.

 

There’s a P-40 for sale now that the owner first acquired for $500 post war/1950s.

 

I remember that a person could buy a PT-13 for $400 in 1945. Ten hours total time.

 

Don't we all wish we had made those "dumb" purchases?

 

Yeah, but that's probably $20,000 or something in today's money with inflation...

 

For me in 1945, fresh out of the service, $ 400 was an out of this world bundle of money. I drooled at buying a fresh new PT-13 but eating was a very important pastime then.