On 5 Jan 2004 10:55:53 -0800, (Trent Moorehead)
wrote:

snip

Lots of times, you need 100% power to take off and climb, especially
if you have obstacles, it's hot and high, etc. Think about it, would
you ever take off with the throttle partially closed? You know, just
for kicks? That's similar to what it's like to take off with a failed
mag.

Depending on the density altitude, pulling the mixture back from 1/4
to 1/2 of its total travel would have restored a lot of the "lost"
power. If you fly routinely out of hot-and-high places, this is
standard procedure with two functioning magnetos.

I am by no means suggesting that this should be attempted while trying
to stabilize the aircraft (as in engine croaking on TO), but is
something that I would have done while returning to the field, after
switching mags and determining that one had "died".

You could bet your sweet bippy that I would have done it if I couldn't
maintain altitude/airspeed while returning, while planning for a
forced landing.

Before I was a "pilot", I got a ride in a Taylor J2 with 40 horsepower
(on a good day) and single ignition (one magneto)..

Depending on the situation, I would possibly fly a ferry hop on one
mag, but I would never presume to criticize anyone that would not.

TC