I agree with Rob. Every approach simply put is managing power (or lack thereof) and airspeed for current conditions to achieve the desired touchdown in a desired location. So I really don't see the value in simply stopping the engine unless you are considering the emotional thrill of a stopped engine.
I understand that all flying (and everything in life) has a risks factor involved. Aerobatics, night flying, IFR, etc all have their risks....the problem is that you increase the risk factor substantially when you purposely lose the engine so you can play "dead stick" which IMHO gives no benefit to flying skills. It seems to me of more a matter of "beat the odds".....beat the odds that another airplane won't cut you off in the pattern; that someone won't take the runway when you have no time to respond; that some fool on a bicycle decided to stroll along the runway(yup happened to me)....or any other thing you can think of could happen. This isn't a risk that is a byproduct of a realm of flying (eg-aerobatics, IFR, formation etc) it is a created risk that can effect other people.
But then I guess the dumb bike rider, the stupid pilot who pulls out on the runway, or the homeowner who built his house too close to the runway along the final approach course, deserve what happens to them because we had to have the engine totally stopped
Hmmmm...maybe we should practice removing the elevator cables/pushtubes to see how it is using the trim tab to try to maintaining pitch.....wow what a rush that would be!
We know there is no regulation against such activity described in this thread, but if something goes awry and there is an accident or incident.....I would about guarantee that FAR 91.13 would be invoked...and the pilot cert be revoked! I think the "shock" wouldn't be in the cylinders.
There was not much "play dead stick" about it. This wasn't a "play" maneuver, it was a "practice" maneuver, which happened at around 830 on a Monday morning, meaning, there wasn't anybody there. At 3K feet down to pattern I was looking all the way down, no radio contact either, had there been any sign of traffic I would of aborted. The entire downwind leg was flown looking for signs of anything on the runway and taxiway. Had their been I would have aborted the maneuver. Along side the main runway, there is a turf runway, on both sides of those, there are the taxiways. The point is there was options if at that point I had been looking and saw something, or decided there was a risk and couldn't get the engine going there was a way out. Increase the risk factor substantially? I'd say I tried to minimize the risk factor as much as possible
There is an increased risk for night flying. Why is that, cause if the engine goes dead, you better hope your over a lighted airport cause if your not, your going to crash into something you can't see, people walking their dog, a kid on his bike, etc etc. Why in the world take the risk, fly during the day. Your odds of being killed in an accident at night are much higher.
EVERYBODY STOP FLYING AT NIGHT RIGHT NOW!!!!! Formation flying, don't even get me started. Aerobatics, your crazy.
I'm not exactly sure why this is that much different from a glider, oh right, the glider has the right of way so everybody will just stay out of his way no matter what. Other than being over something like the Alvord Desert, good idea by the way, this was as controlled as it could be, methodically thought out and executed to the best of my ability. Was there an increase of risk, yup. Was the risk worth the learning reward, YUP! If the engine stopped will I have a good idea of what is going on and what to do, YUP YUP and YUP.
The real crazy thing about this and something I find quite odd, there was a ton to be learned by this, I learn a lot about the way my plane handles, trims out, glides, sounds, feels. Lots of guys seem to see a problem with landing dead stick, most of which have probably never done it themselves, and nobody asked the question of if the landing itself was different. Was anything from the pattern to the ground different, did it change the way my thought process was working or will it change some flying habits that I have had.
And I still haven't heard anything other than shock cooling to watch out for, so it probably isn't too hard on the engine.
I am interested in the 2G pull to get the prop to start windmilling. I have a 3blade catto so I am not sure that would be much benefit to me. If it would be "than it sure would be nice to know before I needed to use it!"
Randy
8A