Jay
Some 15 years ago, I was flying back to the base in a helicopter, and
asked my self, "Self, when was the last time you did a practice
autorotation?" and when my slow moving brain was trying to figure it
out, I rolled off the throttle and did one. well, it was so ugly that I
decided I'd better get some practice before I ruined my reputation. Did
5-6 of them until I was satisfied that I met minimums (my minimums).
damned if I wasn't faced with an actual within the next day or two!! I
have often wondered if that wasn't some kind of prescient thought?
In ag flying the thought of an engine failure is never far from the
front of my thought process and I don't have any room for discussion or
cogitation. When it happens I damned sure better have my plan all
thought out and follow it because it will all be over in less than :10
seconds. I am frequently making my turns over tall trees and no place
to go that is friendly except back into the field I am spraying. My
plan is to make it back into that field! So far I've done OK with at
least 5 engine failures while in the middle of a spray turn.
For the average pilot who doesn't fly that often, or do the hairy stuff
that ag pilots do, regular practice of emergency procedures is an
excellent idea and one to be practiced from time to time. As I have
said many times, I will risk MY life but not the lives of others. That
requires me to pay attention and do some hard corps practice from time
to time even though I fly as much as ten hours a day.
Cheers
Rocky