To Jay, do you monitor your engine analyzer when you go from cruise
power into the pattern and then pull the throttle back during your
approach? How gradually do you pull power back there, and how do the
temps on the analyzer compare to what you did in the simulated
engine-out practice?

Yep. The shock-cooling alarm never goes off during a regular
approach, because of the gradual nature of things. By the time we
enter downwind, we've got the prop and mixture full forward, and are
adjusting manifold pressure (throttle) only slightly to control
airspeed. We're looking for 100 mph/90 knots on downwind.

This wind-down from cruise speed (160 mph/140 knots) usually takes
several minutes, unless we're being asked to keep our speed up at a
controlled field. We generally carry power into the flare (hey, it's
a Cherokee, and a nose-heavy one at that), slowly retarding power as
we touch down.

Apparently this procedure (which we do without thinking about it) is
engine-friendly enough to keep the temperature rate-of-decline outside
of the shock cooling alarm's parameters.

In the future I think we'll practice slow flight (which mimics this
whole engine management procedure) before practicing engine-out
stuff. That should prevent the whole shock-cooling problem,
methinks.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"