Engine Shutdown Training

Author: Bobo

When I entered the T-38 phase of UPT in the Fall of 1970, one of the syllabus requirements early on was to shut down our engines in-flight, not at the same time!  After we shut down the first engine, we did a Normal Restart. When it restarted, we would shut down the second engine and perform an Alternate Airstart. The point of the exercise was to build our confidence in the J-85 engine's reliability.

The first time we shut down an engine, we went through the “Normal Engine Restart Checklist.” The second time, we would use the “Emergency Engine Restart Checklist,” using the afterburner to restart the engine. For me, it all went well. For others, all they gained was confidence in single-engine approaches and landings. We experienced a high number of engines that wouldn’t restart!

And because of the number of engines that failed to restart over the command, either through normal or emergency procedures, the practice was removed from the syllabus shortly after my class. Good move!