Beating myself up real bad about failed ASEL CPL checkride

R

Revtach

Filing Flight Plan
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Aug 25, 2019
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Revtach
I worked so hard at my commercial training yet I get a pink slip for forgetting to set the carb heat to cold during a go-around.

The rest of the ride went well I felt, perhaps the DPE felt differently but didn't say so.

How is this not a debrief item? Especially when I used carb heat appropriately for the every other portion of the ride.

Now I have to meet with the DPE again just to do another go-around only.

Anyway, just venting. Thanks for reading.
 
It may seam trivial, but it's something that should have been ingrained in your head since before you solo for PPL. Something that could kill you and your passengers if you had do do a go around when hot and heavy and couldn't climb due to reduced performance. So I see why he would pink slip you for it, but as mentioned, it should be an easy retest. I don't know what you fly, but if the throttle is a the typical push/pull system with a push/pull carb heat to the left of the throttle, I was trained al long time ago to hold the throttle knob with the rod between my fingers and my thumb sticking to the side so it pushing the carb heat in if I shove the throttle in. Naturally this only works from the left seat.
 
Go-arounds are often overlooked and I see people botch them all the time. It's a common weak area on flight reviews and rental checkouts. Leaving the carb heat on is a poor mistake to make especially for a commercial pilot, even poorer of a mistake to make on a checkride when you're supposed to be at your best. It should be ingrained. Instead of beating yourself up for making a mistake, figure out why. Didn't practice enough? Procedures not memorized? How many times did you forget it when you didn't have a DPE sitting next to you? (How would you have known?)
 
You are applying for a professional pilot certificate. The go around procedure follows a checklist that you failed to know and/or follow. The bust was in order because your failure to perform any procedure properly could put your paying passengers at risk.
 
Last edited:
G-force said:
It may seam trivial, but it's something that should have been ingrained in your head since before you solo for PPL. Something that could kill you and your passengers if you had do do a go around when hot and heavy and couldn't climb due to reduced performance. So I see why he would pink slip you for it, but as mentioned, it should be an easy retest. I don't know what you fly, but if the throttle is a the typical push/pull system with a push/pull carb heat to the left of the throttle, I was trained al long time ago to hold the throttle knob with the rod between my fingers and my thumb sticking to the side so it pushing the carb heat in if I shove the throttle in. Naturally this only works from the left seat.
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I was trained the same way. It should have been automatic. But like Jordan says don’t beat yourself up. I failed my first driver’s test by committing a moving violation during the test. Everybody screws up now and then, you fix the problem and try again. :)
 
I’d just focus on the retest and put the pink slip behind you. Be sure that you have a full understanding of the DPE’s expectations for the retest so that you are adequately prepared.

One tip that has served me well on check rides: verbalize every procedure and maneuver. Talk through it as you do it, as if you’re teaching it to someone. By verbalizing everything, you’re less likely to forget something, and if you screw up, at least the DPE will know that you understand what you’re supposed to do. If you miss it when verbalizing, then perhaps you don’t know it as well as you thought.
 
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