Questions on IR checkride

misteryan

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misteryan
Hi all,

Instrument student here, whose written expires 10/31. So I don’t get the extension offered by the FAA due to covid. I’ve put in a ton of sim time over the past few months (for obvious reasons), and I’m feeling quite proficient on approaches, holds, and the tech in my airplane (750). My biggest worry is the oral.

The way I look at it is, I’ve got nothing to lose by taking the practical. I have flown 3 hours since our plane came out of getting a new engine last month. Prior to that it was February. I feel competent in the airplane. What I need is my 3 hours of instruction in the previous 90 days and then I can just take it. I guess my main question is, should I schedule a bit earlier rather than later in case of discontinuance or weather or scheduling conflicts (I’m in the NE, usually nice fall weather)? Or schedule it in like the last two weeks of October?

And any opinions on whether the extension gets extended?

The backstory is that my wife is not too keen on me getting into a Cherokee with anyone else right now. I’d like to just get it done, but at the same time, I’m 44, I’m never going pro, so failing a checkride won’t kill me, but neither will putting it off until next summer, taking the written again, etc.

What say ye?
 
Get the checkride scheduled with enough time to get your 3hrs and to prep for the oral and go do it. I’d rather get it done sooner than later, I study better when there’s a time constraint.
 
Also, you're 44 and I presume you hold a medical, so your risk of dying from the airplane breaking is FAR greater than any risk from covid.

If I was in your shoes, I'd schedule for early Oct. A month should be plenty of time to prep for the oral, and then you still have a month to reschedule. 3 hours since February? I'd be more worried about being able to fly the plane well. Your cfii will assess that, though, and make sure you're there before they sign you off.
 
Also, you're 44 and I presume you hold a medical, so your risk of dying from the airplane breaking is FAR greater than any risk from covid.

If I was in your shoes, I'd schedule for early Oct. A month should be plenty of time to prep for the oral, and then you still have a month to reschedule. 3 hours since February? I'd be more worried about being able to fly the plane well. Your cfii will assess that, though, and make sure you're there before they sign you off.
My elderly MIL lives with us and my wife has asthma. So we have our concerns about covid. Two neighbors got it and let’s just say they didn’t enjoy the experience. One is an active-duty SEAL.

I have 60 hours of sim time in the last 4 months. I’m not worried about the procedures and such. Unusual attitudes have always been easy for me, same with partial panel. As far as flying goes my biggest worry is knocking off the rust on my landings to be honest.

And I do hold a medical. Thank you for the reply.
 
Get the checkride scheduled with enough time to get your 3hrs and to prep for the oral and go do it. I’d rather get it done sooner than later, I study better when there’s a time constraint.
Agreed.
 
My elderly MIL lives with us and my wife has asthma. So we have our concerns about covid. Two neighbors got it and let’s just say they didn’t enjoy the experience. One is an active-duty SEAL.

I have 60 hours of sim time in the last 4 months. I’m not worried about the procedures and such. Unusual attitudes have always been easy for me, same with partial panel. As far as flying goes my biggest worry is knocking off the rust on my landings to be honest.

And I do hold a medical. Thank you for the reply.
Socratic Question: What’s the Instrument ACS for landing?
 
Is there any particular task that gives you more concern than any others?
 
What say ye?

Sounds like a personal decision. All the factors weighed, it's just up to you and your family.

Regarding an additional extension for airman medical/knowledge tests/etc., I am not any more in the know than anyone else, but I do not expect any further relief to be forthcoming.

I would add a note about a pushing this off for a "re-do" next summer. I was just speaking to a gentleman this week about his multi-engine add-on. Some years ago, he took the checkride, completed the ground portion, then discontinued; aircraft maintenance issues and personal scheduling problems resulted in an exceedence beyond the 60 days allowed for the continuance. Time passed. He tried again, of course having to take the entire practical test again, not to mention re-train, etc. Same issue, discontinuance due to weather. And again, life conspired to get in the way and he never completed the practical test. To this day he still doesn't have the multi-engine rating despite logging 25 or so hours flight time to get the rating. Were he to try again today he'd be starting from scratch yet again.

I don't have any 'stats' on completion rates for a given airman certificate or rating after a long break but I'd feel comfortable saying it's substantially less than 100%. So you'd be rolling the dice there, somewhat. There's also the additional training, time, and expense necessary to get you checkride-ready again. In other words, I'd say you should probably weigh into your thought process that despite your intentions and motivations of today, that if you don't proceed to take your practical test in the next two months, you may never earn your instrument rating. A year into the future is a long way away.
 
For me, the flying part was the easiest part of the checkride. The parts that challenged me was dealing with ATC in a busy terminal area where my plan was not necessarily their plan. Sims are a good tool but they don't actually replicate dealing with the "system." I also found messing with the avionics was a challenge for this old codger. The Garmin I flew with was optimized for someone flying from point a to point b and flying a single approach. Flying multiple approaches and multiple turns in holding took some serious button pushing. In the olden days all you really had to do in any aircraft was dial in a frequency (T-I-M) and scan instruments while referencing a paper copy of the approach. Today every GPS seems to have a proprietary interface.
 
I would try to schedule ASAP if you have all the requirements. Give yourself a couple weeks to prep for the oral. The examiner I use won't schedule out more than about two weeks because he was getting so many cancellations. People were scheduling and then canceling because they were not ready.

I never try to schedule Check rides where we have hard deadlines (like knowledge tests expiring) close by. I tell my Students that check rides are notorious for getting postponed or delayed for the craziest reasons. I think my Instrument Student that completed his Oral the 1st of March, discontinued due to weather and then couldn't continue the test for 2 months+ due to Covid 19 restrictions with the examiner and airplane (CAP plane) believes me now.

We had 2 Checkrides scheduled yesterday. My student's was postponed because the smoke was to bad for the Examiner to fly here. Might have been marginal for the checkride itself. The other students was postponed because he couldn't document all his required night landings.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
Sounds like a personal decision. All the factors weighed, it's just up to you and your family.

Regarding an additional extension for airman medical/knowledge tests/etc., I am not any more in the know than anyone else, but I do not expect any further relief to be forthcoming.

I would add a note about a pushing this off for a "re-do" next summer. I was just speaking to a gentleman this week about his multi-engine add-on. Some years ago, he took the checkride, completed the ground portion, then discontinued; aircraft maintenance issues and personal scheduling problems resulted in an exceedence beyond the 60 days allowed for the continuance. Time passed. He tried again, of course having to take the entire practical test again, not to mention re-train, etc. Same issue, discontinuance due to weather. And again, life conspired to get in the way and he never completed the practical test. To this day he still doesn't have the multi-engine rating despite logging 25 or so hours flight time to get the rating. Were he to try again today he'd be starting from scratch yet again.

I don't have any 'stats' on completion rates for a given airman certificate or rating after a long break but I'd feel comfortable saying it's substantially less than 100%. So you'd be rolling the dice there, somewhat. There's also the additional training, time, and expense necessary to get you checkride-ready again. In other words, I'd say you should probably weigh into your thought process that despite your intentions and motivations of today, that if you don't proceed to take your practical test in the next two months, you may never earn your instrument rating. A year into the future is a long way away.
I can't thank you enough for your insight, Ryan, you make a lot of fantastic points.

As Witmo also said, I feel like the flying part will be the easiest bit. I'm more worried about the oral. I "grew up" at a class Delta with a TRSA, so I'm used to dealing with ATC. The way I look at it is, I have nothing to lose. If I fail the checkride, at least I gave it a try. And if I pass, I get a rating that they almost can't ever take away from me.

If I can convince my wife that the three hours' flight time is worth the risk, I see no reason not to give it a shot.
 
I can't thank you enough for your insight, Ryan, you make a lot of fantastic points.

As Witmo also said, I feel like the flying part will be the easiest bit. I'm more worried about the oral. I "grew up" at a class Delta with a TRSA, so I'm used to dealing with ATC. The way I look at it is, I have nothing to lose. If I fail the checkride, at least I gave it a try. And if I pass, I get a rating that they almost can't ever take away from me.

If I can convince my wife that the three hours' flight time is worth the risk, I see no reason not to give it a shot.
Move into the FBO until you finish training, pass and then for two weeks quarantine afterward. Win / Win / Win.
 
I didn’t find the oral to be a particular challenge. Get the Oral Prep Guide and you will be fine. If anything, I got grilled on airport environment safety. Look up particular hotspots or safety issues at local airfields and be conversant on the related requirements there.
 
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