Hey all,

Here's something to keep in mind during your next ride. We were doing 8s on pylons, everything was going okay. Check pilot pulled power at about 700 feet. I had a field, so immediately set myself up and had everything under control. Then I proceeded to descend through 500 AGL. Bust!

I won't ever forget that rule again...

what rule??

That'd be 91.119d:

"Except when necessary for takeoff and landing, no person may operate below an altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure."

Also on CFI PTS page 1-63: "No simulated emergency approach shall be continued below 500 feet AGL, unless over an area where a safe landing can be accomplished in compliance with 14 CFR 91.119."

That's a crock... if HE pulled the power, it was up to him to tell you when the simulation ended. You could have asked but he introduced the simulated failure.

A debriefing item, yes. A bust. NO! Dipsticks like this give check airmen and DEs a bad image.

Was this guy a Fed or a DE?

I agree that is BS, he introduced the failure..

Was the area sparsely populated?

I agree with this post, Pretty chicken sh if you ask me. FLY SAFE T.C.

I could tell you, but then you'd know that my flight school is responsible for 90% of the whiners and phonies in the industry.

I'm doing some fact finding now. I might take it to our standards department. There may have been powerlines there (structure), which voids my case. I get the point... at the CFI level, you need be on your toes. But it would be nice if I didn't have to retrain and go back again for something so trivial.

Talk to this DE's POI. Total BS.

Affirmative.