Man, you have some really whacked ideas about flying. Your comment on airplanes burning when hitting a building is kinda scary itself. Please don't come in here saying the things you are. Flying is only as safe as the guy working on the plane. IFR flying is only as safe as the guy flying the plane and the instrumentation he is using. I am a fairly high time ATP and I have spent a lot of time in the clouds. I take offence to a very low time student coming in with the notions you have said. Don't bring it here!



Robert, to answer your question, many have answered it but not exactly what you are looking for. Turning the engine off with the key will not hurt the engine. It will however leave fuel in it and if the switch is bad, like yours sounds, it could cause someone to get hurt if they flip the prop and it fires. Your instructor is wrong to tell you not to test them, and the maint company is hanging themselves out a long way by not replacing a cheap switch. I would have it fixed before I flew it again.

Good luck.