A C152 CFI RUNS OUT OF FUEL DURING A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT AND MANAGES TO DEAD STICK IT DOWN ON THE HOME ARPT AT MBT; TN.

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I'VE BEEN A CFI FOR NEARLY 2 YRS NOW AND HAVE GIVEN NEARLY 700 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION. I GUESS FAMILIARITY BREEDS COMPLACENCY; THOUGH IT'S A TRAP I'D HOPED TO AVOID. MY EXPERIENCE DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY PROTECT ME THOUGH; AND MISTAKES STILL HAPPEN. MY MISTAKE WAS MADE DURING A DUAL FLT IN A C152. DURING OUR PREFLT; WE MEASURED 14 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE C152 BURNS ABOUT 6 GPH; SO THAT GAVE US ABOUT 2 HRS 15 MINS OF FLT -- 1 HR 45 MINS OF FLT WITH 30 MINS OF RESERVE. OUR FLT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE 1 1/2 HRS; SO I DECIDED WE DIDN'T NEED EXTRA FUEL AND THOUGHT NO MORE ABOUT IT. THIS LESSON; HOWEVER; WAS LATE IN THE DAY BEFORE THE STUDENT'S CHK RIDE (WHICH WAS FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING). WHEN SOME MANEUVERS LOOKED WEAK; I DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT LETTING THE STUDENT TRY AGAIN. I LOST TRACK OF TIME. FINALLY; WE WERE READY TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. WE WERE POSITIONING OURSELVES TO GET ON A 45 DEG ENTRY TO DOWNWIND; BUT ONLY MADE IT TO ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE APCH END WHEN THE ENG BEGAN TO SURGE. I REALIZED THE STUDENT WASN'T CAUSING IT WHEN I SAW HER LOOK. I TOOK THE CTLS AND TOLD HER I HAD THEM. WE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY PITCHED FOR BEST GLIDE SPD. WHEN THE ENG SURGED; THE PLANE WOULD CLB. I DECIDED WE WERE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE AND BROUGHT THE THROTTLE TO IDLE SO THAT THE SIT WAS MORE LIKE THE SIMULATED ENG OUT LNDGS I HAD PRACTICED. WE DECLARED AN EMER ON CTAF AND THE ONLY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA ASSURED US HE WOULD STEER CLR. AS WE TAXIED TO PARKING; MY STUDENT POINTED TO THE GAUGES AND ASKED IF WE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL -- THEY WERE PEGGED AT 'E!' I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! WE QUICKLY CALCULATED HOBBS TIME. IT WAS 2.2 - 2 HRS AND 15 MINS! I BLINKED AND LOOKED AT MY WATCH. I WOULD NEVER HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN ON A XCOUNTRY; AND I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD MY STUDENTS THAT RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IS ONE OF THE DUMBEST REASONS TO CRASH. YET; HERE STOOD MY AIRPLANE NEARLY EMPTY. DURING THE FLT; I WAS THINKING ABOUT STEEP TURNS AND S-TURNS AND SCANNING FOR TFC; BUT MY SCAN SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE HOBBS METER; TOO. I THANK GOD WE WERE BY THE ARPT WHEN WE LOST OUR ENG. NO ONE GOT HURT AND NO PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. NEXT TIME I MAY NOT GET THAT CHANCE; SO I WILL NOT LET 'NEXT TIME' HAPPEN. I HOPE OTHERS WILL DO THE SAME.