-> Robert there is a very good reason for this.  At least in the Air
-> Force all training is and has been for quite awhile in Tri-Cycle Gear
-> Jets.
Jim, several years ago we had a similar problem locally that, had it not
been so serious would have been really funny.
The smuggling (TO Mexico not FROM) business being booming, and qualified
pilots being in short supply, the boss put a message in Trade A Plane
for someone MEL who wanted to get into a lucrative business at the grass
root level.  We had several applicants.  One of which was a REALLY nice
guy, quiet and unassuming and anxious to do well.  Single, poor,
recently divorced AND discharged with 4000 hours in multi-jets.
He and I were getting on famously and walked out to look at the
airplanes.  An Aztec, the boss's Baron, a cherokee six, etc.  I asked
him, "Ever fly a Cherokee six?"  "No," he drawled eyeing the single fan
suspiciously.  "How about an Aztec?" "Nope" he admitted, but looked
substantially happier with the concept of a fan on each side!
"Heck-fire", says I, "Let's get you comfortable in the Aztec", knowing
better than to mess with the boss's 'personal' play-pretty.  So in we
hops, I show him where the switches are and how to crank it and we taxi
out, more or less normal, but I can tell he aint EVER gonna be exactly
comfortable but I can't figure out why.
Knowing full well I ought not to be doing this, the chief pilot being
gone on an overnighter to MEx City, I talk to the tower for him and we
waddle on down to the business end of the active and he taxiis right on
out onto runway and lines up.
"Hey, don'tcha think you oughta do a runup?" I suggest, and suddenly it
dawns on me this guy aint never sat between props before!  At least not
props with pistons attached!  Embarrased as he is, I'm even moreso, so
we cycle the props and tell the tower bye, and roar off down the active
like we collectively had one good brain between us.  Ever pull an Aztec
off green?  Ever hear the guy in the right seat screaming "PUT THE NOSE
DOWN!"
Now, I'm worse than embarrassed, scared half to death, KNOW the boss is
gonna kill me for getting involved with this, and CONVINCED that the guy
STOLE the license, or bought it at the BX!  We nursed the scared old
indian around the patch, told the tower to look out we were coming back,
and I made ONE more serious mistake, letting him fly the approach.  When
he started to flair the old gal at about 100 feet I just said "Let me
make this first one." and took it.  He sat there watching and getting
lighter and lighter in the seat until he was SURE we were gonna go
splat.  The mains squeeked on and he relaxed a little until the left
engine began its pop BANG landing routine and I thought he was gonna
crawl in my lap.  It ALWAYS popped and crackled on landing and we were
all used to it and didn't even notice.  He'd never heard an engine
backfire before!
I got him and the Aztec back to the hangar, and turned him over to the
boss's secty to fill out the app, and quietly found me something ELSE to
do, involving being plumb across the ramp from him and whatever he DID
know about flying.
Turns out after about 5 hours with the chief pilot, he's a pretty fair
pilot, but he aint cut out for smuggling!  Never did get used to people
shooting at him or engines backfiring!
Got married and flew the mail in a King-air for the rest of the time I
knew him.  We NEVER discussed his "familiarization" ride.
  ^..^
--- FidoPCB v1.5 beta-'j'
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