GEAR UP LNDG AT BLM; NJ; ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT.

Narrative

I WAS NEARING THE END OF A TRAINING FLT IN A PIPER ARROW III. THE TRAINING FLT WAS PART OF A CHKOUT FOR OBTAINING MY COMPLEX AIRPLANE ENDORSEMENT. AT MIDFIELD DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14 AT BLM ARPT; THE CFI DECLARED A SIMULATED ENG OUT. AT THE SAME TIME; AN UNIDENTED ACFT DECLARED HE WAS INBOUND ON THE LOC RWY 14 APCH TO BLM APPROX 2 MI OUT. I MENTIONED TO THE INSTRUCTOR THAT I DID NOT HAVE THAT ACFT IN SIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE EMER OVERRIDE ON THE LNDG GEAR WAS TO BE ENGAGED TO PREVENT THE GEAR FROM DROPPING AUTOMATICALLY AT LOW AIRSPD CREATING UNWANTED DRAG. ONCE ENGAGED; WE WERE ABEAM THE NUMBERS AT ABOUT 800 FT INDICATED AND HE INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN BASE. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON BASE; I COMMENTED AGAIN THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE ACFT INBOUND ON THE LOC IN SIGHT; AND THE INSTRUCTOR COMMENTED WE HAD ENOUGH SPACING WITH THAT ACFT AND NOT TO WORRY. ONCE I FELT I HAD THE ARPT MADE; I DEPLOYED A NOTCH OF FLAPS AND QUICKLY FOLLOWED WITH A SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS. THE INSTRUCTED COMMENTED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED FLAPS UNTIL I WAS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL. I TOLD THE INSTRUCTOR THAT MY PREVIOUS INSTRUCTOR (THIS IS MY FOURTH) ONLY ASKED THAT I HAD TO BE SURE THE RWY WAS MADE -- NOT NECESSARILY ON FINAL. AT THAT POINT WE TURNED FINAL; AND UPON ROLLING OUT OF THE TURN WE WERE ALMOST OVER THE NUMBERS. AT THAT POINT I FELT THAT THE EXERCISE WOULD BE OVER AND CONSIDERING THERE WAS AN ACFT ON CLOSE FINAL; I ASKED IF THIS WAS JUST GOING TO BE A LOW APCH. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID NO; LAND THE PLANE; AND HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN DISCUSSING KEEPING THE NOSE POINTED DOWN; NOT FLATTING OUT TOO EARLY; WHEN TO FLARE; ETC. THAT WAS OUR LAST DISCUSSION BEFORE WE LANDED GEAR UP.