a silly question, by eman1200

eman1200

eman1200

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Mar 10, 2013
Messages
18,906
Location
Oakland, CA
Display Name
Display name:
Bro do you even lift
for planning the xc (cross country) for the private checkride, the examiner said 'plan a xc to HKY'. so, before some of y'all get yer panties in a wad, we are flying out of KPYG, PAGELAND SOUTH CAROLINA, RWYs 5/23, field elevation 574.9ft to KHKY, HICKORY NORTH CAROLINA, RWYs 6/24 and 1/19, field elev 1190ft. there, /sarcasm.

so my question is, does the DPE want to see the return trip planned out as well? I wouldn't think so, but figured I'd ask.
 
i only planned one way. He only wants to see that you plan correctly, picked easily identifiable checkpoints, computed ground speed, time, wind correction angle, etc. correctly
 
One way out,your not going to finish the xc . The dpe wants to see that you can plan a xc. Then comes the deversion.
 
thanks y'all, that's what I figured but just don't want to show up looking 'unprepared'
 
Interesting. PYG was the destination for my check ride XC. And, no, I did not have to plan the return. Good luck!
 
PYG to HKY? That is easy! I had to plan PYG to CHS for the PP checkride

Good luck!

Who is your examiner?
 
You could plan the trip to Hickory for lunch at Olde German Schnitzel Haus. Down load the menu at the link and show that to the DPE. Also, print out directions from the field to the restaurant using mapquest.com. Figure driving times and allow for eating and the plan a trip to KRDU. There's a great museum there. Get directions and pricing and print them out as well. Finally plan back to KPYG and have all the printouts of driving directions, menus, attractions, food reviews and traffic from Waze.

Don't forget the flight plan.
 
jordane93 said:
i only planned one way. He only wants to see that you plan correctly, picked easily identifiable checkpoints, computed ground speed, time, wind correction angle, etc. correctly
Click to expand...

frfly172 said:
One way out,your not going to finish the xc . The dpe wants to see that you can plan a xc. Then comes the deversion.
Click to expand...

The above was my experience. First checkpoint for me was within 10 miles of the departure airport, so we were there pretty quickly. Then suddenly our destination was over run by armadillos and I was asked to divert and work the diversion problem.
 
Don't plan your XC using any VOR's unless you are told its ok. I had mine all planned out and thought having a VOR as one of my points would have been a good way to prove my abilities. I was told the night before hand otherwise. Just after spending about all day planning that perfect detailed XC. I didnt look up how far yours is, but mine was about 260 nm. There is a lot of way points on a trip that far. I had something picked out just about every 10-15nm. The removal of the VOR totally changed my route and had me up almost all night planning a new trip. I was so tired the day of the exam. Then on exam day only flew about 10 nm of it. Good luck brother!!
 
JasonM said:
Don't plan your XC using any VOR's unless you are told its ok. I had mine all planned out and thought having a VOR as one of my points would have been a good way to prove my abilities. I was told the night before hand otherwise. Just after spending about all day planning that perfect detailed XC. I didnt look up how far yours is, but mine was about 260 nm. There is a lot of way points on a trip that far. I had something picked out just about every 10-15nm. The removal of the VOR totally changed my route and had me up almost all night planning a new trip. I was so tired the day of the exam. Then on exam day only flew about 10 nm of it. Good luck brother!!
Click to expand...

well, I currently have 2 VOR's as checkpoints....was any explanation given to you as to why that is a bad idea? it just doesn't make sense to me why that would be a bad idea, for purposes of the checkride xc. now I'm kinda bummed.....
 
I used a VOR as a checkpoint on my checkride in October, and there was no issue.
 
eman1200 said:
well, I currently have 2 VOR's as checkpoints....was any explanation given to you as to why that is a bad idea? it just doesn't make sense to me why that would be a bad idea, for purposes of the checkride xc. now I'm kinda bummed.....
Click to expand...

I would just make sure it is ok before spending all your time planning. It may be ok for you, but I assumed it would be ok as well from stories of some others and videos. I thought it would prove more of my skills. The guy I went with wants to make sure everyone can plan a full XC with zero nav aids. I would just double check so your not shocked otherwise. I thought for sure I was good until I spoke with my CFI around 8:00pm to tell him all about my great plan. He told me I had to redo it all due to the VOR. The DPE called me back around 8:30pm and I asked if that would be ok. He said absolutely not. "I said plan a trip 100% pilotage". Guess I didn't know what was or wasn't correctly. good luck!
 
In some types of terrain (forested mountains), VORs can be easy to spot visually, and can serve as visual checkpoints even if no radios are available. However, there are often better ones nearby.
 
You don't have to plan the return. In flying you plan the legs to a destination. The return flight is another destination/another flight. Relax and try not to overthink, you'll do fine.
 
Captain said:
You could plan the trip to Hickory for lunch at Olde German Schnitzel Haus. Down load the menu at the link and show that to the DPE. Also, print out directions from the field to the restaurant using mapquest.com. Figure driving times and allow for eating and the plan a trip to KRDU. There's a great museum there. Get directions and pricing and print them out as well. Finally plan back to KPYG and have all the printouts of driving directions, menus, attractions, food reviews and traffic from Waze.



Don't forget the flight plan.
Click to expand...


You know. You might be kinda joking but one of the first real XC trips you make, you realize you have to do a whole lot more planning than just the flight bag. How to get a ride or wheels, what times things are open, where to stop for lunch halfway across the country, how long a lunch stop actually takes, whether the hotel will let you cancel without penalty if you divert for weather....

Heh. The checkride XCs are a piece of cake compared to actually traveling in the airplane. ;)
 
JasonM said:
Don't plan your XC using any VOR's unless you are told its ok.
Click to expand...


ROFL. YGBFKM.

I'll keep that one in mind for a good laugh in my /A or /U aircraft depending on how the DME is feeling today.

LMAO.
 
My DPE had me only plan one way.

After he had reviewed it and gone over it extensively during the oral, we didn't use any of it on the flight portion of the test.

It has to be taken into consideration that there was 5 weeks between my oral and practical test, I had redone the plan to the same destination but he didn't even ask for it....of course he did have me take him to a different airport and leave me to find my own way home ....:yikes:
 
MAKG1 said:
In some types of terrain (forested mountains), VORs can be easy to spot visually, and can serve as visual checkpoints even if no radios are available. However, there are often better ones nearby.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I don't have a VOR receiver, but I use the Carelton VOR ((crl) south of Detroit Metro (DTW)) as a visual check point to keep me clear of the class B.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Indeed. I don't have a VOR receiver, but I use the Carelton VOR ((crl) south of Detroit Metro (DTW)) as a visual check point to keep me clear of the class B.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've also used VORs as visual checkpoints. They work quite well as they're usual on a hill and in a clearing. Plus now you have a double check if you can receive the VOR which I assume the DPE should like.
 
AggieMike88 said:
First checkpoint for me was within 10 miles of the departure airport, so we were there pretty quickly. Then suddenly our destination was over run by armadillos and I was asked to divert and work the diversion problem.
Click to expand...

I'm not a DPE, but I would've failed you Mike:lol: (Just kidding)

Anyone from Texas should have already been shown how to perform a REALLY LOW PASS to clear the runway;)

One of my flights to Silver City NM involved a large coyote sunning himself on the numbers of the newly re-paved runway in winter. I buzzed him but GOOD, and he immediately stood up ... moved exactly 2 feet and laid down again:mad2: Two subsequent low approaches resulted in the same response ... Score Coyote 3, Grumman Tiger 0:rofl:
 
danhagan said:
I'm not a DPE, but I would've failed you Mike:lol: (Just kidding)

Anyone from Texas should have already been shown how to perform a REALLY LOW PASS to clear the runway;)

One of my flights to Silver City NM involved a large coyote sunning himself on the numbers of the newly re-paved runway in winter. I buzzed him but GOOD, and he immediately stood up ... moved exactly 2 feet and laid down again:mad2: Two subsequent low approaches resulted in the same response ... Score Coyote 3, Grumman Tiger 0:rofl:
Click to expand...

haha, those crazy coyotes!
 
eman1200 said:
thanks y'all, that's what I figured but just don't want to show up looking 'unprepared'
Click to expand...

Don't be like me and over prepare either. I woke up extra early (or stayed up really late, didn't get much sleep the night before worrying about it) to get the winds aloft forecast, then do all my ground speed and fuel calculations, printed everything out, even a picture of the compass calibration card from the airplane so I could show him how I figured out my course.. He had me plan a trip with an intermediate destination so I did three total.

He asked me a couple questions about planning in general, then asked to see the first leg I planned. I gave it to him, he glanced at it, chuckled and said "Looks like we'll have a pretty good headwind" and moved on to another topic. :mad2:
 
As everyone confirmed, the one way checkride XC with a diversion once you've demonstrated proficiency must have been the standard since forever. And it's probably the last time you'll do a XC that way.

I was thinking about your flight and fondly remembering flying glider XC tasks out of Chester. Back in the day before KCLT's Class B, we used to fly around Charlotte using Pageland, Hickory and other turnpoints. But now there is a Class B....

Seems like one challenge for your plan is circumnavigating the Class B. I'm curious about how you will do that.

In the real world I would be asking KCLT for a CLT transition at 4500' knowing that my chance of getting that is <50%. Otherwise I would be flying underneath the Class B. But your checkride flight is not real world.
 
Bill Watson said:
....I was thinking about your flight and fondly remembering flying glider XC tasks out of Chester. Back in the day before KCLT's Class B, we used to fly around Charlotte using Pageland, Hickory and other turnpoints. But now there is a Class B....

Seems like one challenge for your plan is circumnavigating the Class B. I'm curious about how you will do that.

In the real world I would be asking KCLT for a CLT transition at 4500' knowing that my chance of getting that is <50%. Otherwise I would be flying underneath the Class B. But your checkride flight is not real world.
Click to expand...

Maule, no doubt this is actually an interesting XC to plan, from a Checkride perspective, it's challenging for sure (like you said, the xc plan would be completely different once PPL'd). I could go around the bravo to the left, go around to the right via JQF/Concord Regional (which is what I'm planning) or do something silly like plan a route straight thru the bravo, which doesn't make much sense since I'm taking a chance getting cleared into it and even if I do they could easily vector me around making the plan moot. There are a # of challenges with planning this route, but I think I got a good handle on it.
 
eman1200 said:
Maule, no doubt this is actually an interesting XC to plan, from a Checkride perspective, it's challenging for sure (like you said, the xc plan would be completely different once PPL'd). I could go around the bravo to the left, go around to the right via JQF/Concord Regional (which is what I'm planning) or do something silly like plan a route straight thru the bravo, which doesn't make much sense since I'm taking a chance getting cleared into it and even if I do they could easily vector me around making the plan moot. There are a # of challenges with planning this route, but I think I got a good handle on it.
Click to expand...
i don't know how it is near charlotte but i've had no problems getting transitions over the into the NY bravo which is a lot more busy than charlotte.
 
JasonM said:
I would just make sure it is ok before spending all your time planning. It may be ok for you, but I assumed it would be ok as well from stories of some others and videos. I thought it would prove more of my skills. The guy I went with wants to make sure everyone can plan a full XC with zero nav aids. I would just double check so your not shocked otherwise. I thought for sure I was good until I spoke with my CFI around 8:00pm to tell him all about my great plan. He told me I had to redo it all due to the VOR. The DPE called me back around 8:30pm and I asked if that would be ok. He said absolutely not. "I said plan a trip 100% pilotage". Guess I didn't know what was or wasn't correctly. good luck!
Click to expand...

I thought the point of a checkride was to test your overall abilities, not just pilotage. Seems rather stupid not to use all the resources available at your disposal. The way I see it is if you have the equipment to use radio navigation and know how to use it then there is no reason why not to use it. Obviously don't plan the whole thing using VORs alone, but there should be nothing wrong with using one VOR.
Maybe there was something wrong with your DPE.
 
MachFly said:
I thought the point of a checkride was to test your overall abilities, not just pilotage. Seems rather stupid not to use all the resources available at your disposal. The way I see it is if you have the equipment to use radio navigation and know how to use it then there is no reason why not to use it. Obviously don't plan the whole thing using VORs alone, but there should be nothing wrong with using one VOR.
Maybe there was something wrong with your DPE.
Click to expand...

it seems pretty crazy for a DPE to say not to use a VOR. when you think about it, in real life it's quite possible you'd use one, where as you most likely won't ever do another xc plan like you do when you're a student. weird. I feel like my planning skills are pretty decent. I'm just gonna plan it, review it with my instructor, then present it to the DPE, what can u do.
 
denverpilot said:
JasonM said:
Don't plan your XC using any VOR's unless you are told its ok.
Click to expand...

ROFL. YGBFKM.

I'll keep that one in mind for a good laugh in my /A or /U aircraft depending on how the DME is feeling today.

LMAO.
Click to expand...
If you're using VOR's as checkpoints on your XC plan for a PP practical test, make sure you know what a VOR station looks like and can see it from your planned altitude.
 
You guys act like it was a joke. I am only making sure he gets confirmation in the event he runs into the same problem I did. Now to clear things up about VOR usage, after my diversion from the XC to the nearest airport, I was told to locate my position using VOR's and navigate using VOR's. So using VOR's was part of my checkride, just 100% not allowed to be part of the XC. God Bless all the DPE's out there that are not so restrictive. Good luck to you eman1200. I'm counting on you to knock this out soon! :)
 
danhagan said:
I'm not a DPE, but I would've failed you Mike:lol: (Just kidding)

Anyone from Texas should have already been shown how to perform a REALLY LOW PASS to clear the runway;)

One of my flights to Silver City NM involved a large coyote sunning himself on the numbers of the newly re-paved runway in winter. I buzzed him but GOOD, and he immediately stood up ... moved exactly 2 feet and laid down again:mad2: Two subsequent low approaches resulted in the same response ... Score Coyote 3, Grumman Tiger 0:rofl:
Click to expand...

Thats your problem: you used a Tiger when a Road Runner would have been better; open up a can of Acme Whoopass (TM).
 
ok so I flew tonite for the first time in 12 days and discussed my xc plan with El Jefe. He says it's fine to use VOR in the plan as a nav aid, but I shouldn't include it as a specific checkpoint. and, to address any confusion, I didn't mean the physical sighting of the station itself. I had a slightly greater distance between 2 checkpoints than I normally used, so I threw in a radial as a 'filler' checkpoint.

and Jason, Imma do you proud my man.
 
danhagan said:
I'm not a DPE, but I would've failed you Mike:lol: (Just kidding)

Anyone from Texas should have already been shown how to perform a REALLY LOW PASS to clear the runway;)

One of my flights to Silver City NM involved a large coyote sunning himself on the numbers of the newly re-paved runway in winter. I buzzed him but GOOD, and he immediately stood up ... moved exactly 2 feet and laid down again:mad2: Two subsequent low approaches resulted in the same response ... Score Coyote 3, Grumman Tiger 0:rofl:
Click to expand...

If he's on the numbers, why not just land past him? :dunno:
 
Remember, "I am not lost, just unsure of my position". Have fun. As Bill W. said, it will possibly be the last time you do it this way.

Also if using VOR's or airports as checkpoints, they are high traffic areas even several thousand feet up. My family was on a xc country at 5500' when we noticed down below that two white high wings were on a collision course 90 deg apart that appeared to be at similar altitudes. As they were directly over the airport probably 200' apart laterally, both made very sharp turns to avoid each other. Then both flew on their "new course" as far as I could see, possibly calming back down and thinking, "boy that was a close one". I am surprised we ever see each other as fast as those two 100-120 kt airplanes converged. I started to switch to the CTAF, but there was no time and they probably were still on their departure airport freq. One reason we fly at 10,500-13,500 on most xc now. We hardly see anything but airline traffic climbing or descending.
 
RV10flyer said:
Remember, "I am not lost, just unsure of my position". Have fun. As Bill W. said, it will possibly be the last time you do it this way.



Also if using VOR's or airports as checkpoints, they are high traffic areas even several thousand feet up. My family was on a xc country at 5500' when we noticed down below that two white high wings were on a collision course 90 deg apart that appeared to be at similar altitudes. As they were directly over the airport probably 200' apart laterally, both made very sharp turns to avoid each other. Then both flew on their "new course" as far as I could see, possibly calming back down and thinking, "boy that was a close one". I am surprised we ever see each other as fast as those two 100-120 kt airplanes converged. I started to switch to the CTAF, but there was no time and they probably were still on their departure airport freq. One reason we fly at 10,500-13,500 on most xc now. We hardly see anything but airline traffic climbing or descending.
Click to expand...


Above 3000' AGL they should be on hemispherical altitudes for east/west. Below that, it's anyone's ball game and always has been, whether you're over a VOR or not. Keep eyeballs outside if VFR. Always.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top