t0r0nad0
Pattern Altitude
Congrats, Jim!
deac... does your most recent post mean you've passed?
deac... does your most recent post mean you've passed?
Check Ride Prep
- Thread starter deac523
- Start date
K
KennyFlys
Guest
Congratulations!
etsisk
En-Route
speaking for Bill, YES IT DOES!!!! He done good!!
deac523
Filing Flight Plan
Check ride story -- how did I every pass??
Well, here's how it went, today.
As previously posted, the DPE had to delay because of his son's balky wisdom tooth. The school suggested I get there at 11:30 AM to be ready to go. This I do.
Feeling like I can't fail, I spring for pizza for the staff and students who were there -- fortunately it was a light day and I got away pretty cheap.
Well, DPE shows up just as the pizza arrives (talk about timing). We wolf down a couple of slices, chit chat and then get down to business.
The oral was, as most people suggested, more a conversation. Every time I mentioned the right key word in an answer, the DPE stops me and says "good, let's move on." I really enjoyed the conversation, especially the side bars about his experiences flying in Africa and landing a C172 in a few hundred feet.
Once done with the oral, he tells me to get the weather and a plane while he ducks out for a smoke.
The weather actually improved from the time I got there. The crystal clear skies that were forecast turned out the be bkn 040. But by the time we got out, the clouds had blown away and we had a few at 4000.
It's now around 3 PM -- my absolute wort time of the day. This is the time I usually need to fight to keep awake at work -- this was the exact time I was hoping to avoid for my practical test! -- Oh well.
Pre-flight while DPE watches helicopters taxiing around near the school next door. All done, we get into the plane.
We get ATIS and he gets clearance to the north practice area.
First thing is a soft field take-off. I begin to taxi onto the active and forget to hold the nose up -- DPE pulls yolk back for me (doh!)
I affect a fairly decent soft field take-off and climb out reasonably.
We get cleared to own nav, so I begin to turn north. On the way out I put on the hood. Straight and level, a climb, a turn, a descent. I am fighting all the way. Can't seem to hold heading properly, plane is yawing all over the place. There was a bit of a chop, but nothing I haven't handles before. Nerves!
We get out to the practice area and DPE takes the plane -- unusual attitudes. I handle them very well -- no sweat.
Off with the hood (hope I never have to see that thing again!!)
Now it's steep turns. I'm fighting to keep from diving -- don't know why, I never have problems with steep turns.
Complete them, DEP says to set up for slow flight. OK, power back, incremental flaps, maintain altitude (with difficulty), stall horn sounds. There's the break -- nose to the horizon and full power, first notch of flaps out, maintain coordination -- beautiful recovery.
DPE says, "I asked for slow flight, not a power off stall!"
oops -- I feel foolish!
No problem, DPE has me turn to new heading and go into slow flight.
This time I keep it slow but I can't keep it from sloshing side-to-side. I'm beginning to feel like this is lesson 1, like I've never flown before!
DPE comments, but it's OK.
We do a power on stall, which I was really dreading, but handled fairly well.
Next was to pick up the XC route (which happened to be to the north) by tracking BDR VOR. This I did well. We broke off about half way across LI sound and turn back.
DPE pulls power. "You lost your engine"
I go through ABC but pick a marsh to land in, then a parking lot with cars, then a beech -- "my goodness, Bill, what the heck is going on with me??"
Finally DPE points out a preferable site -- a beach heading into the wind.
I go through the check list and all the emergency stuff. I had the beach made, so we aborted.
Next was turns around a point, but the site DPE picked was too close to the Port Jefferson Stacks, so we move west. I pick out a place and I knew the maneuver was sloppy, but apparently adequate.
Back to ISP for touch and gos
First is a normal landing. I flair too much and balloon. A touch of power and level the nose -- decent recovery -- DPE comments.
Next is short field stop and go. I handled the landing well. On takeoff, I dumped the flaps too soon and we sank a little -- I knew I did wrong and explained I should have waited for some altitude and increase in airspeed.
Every time I turned to cross wind I seemed to not be able to coordinate things. DPE kept commenting on this and finally said I had to demonstrate I could make coordinated turns! (I always can, but for some reason not today).
Finally, on the next turn to base he cheers -- says his a** wasn't sliding across the seat!
He says this is a full stop -- do a soft field landing.
I did pretty good on that one.
We taxi back. He says to meet him inside once I secure the plane and he'll make me a pilot
Despite all of the bumbling mistakes, I guess I did good enough to convince him that I can fly safely. Now, I can go out and continue to learn
Well, here's how it went, today.
As previously posted, the DPE had to delay because of his son's balky wisdom tooth. The school suggested I get there at 11:30 AM to be ready to go. This I do.
Feeling like I can't fail, I spring for pizza for the staff and students who were there -- fortunately it was a light day and I got away pretty cheap.
Well, DPE shows up just as the pizza arrives (talk about timing). We wolf down a couple of slices, chit chat and then get down to business.
The oral was, as most people suggested, more a conversation. Every time I mentioned the right key word in an answer, the DPE stops me and says "good, let's move on." I really enjoyed the conversation, especially the side bars about his experiences flying in Africa and landing a C172 in a few hundred feet.
Once done with the oral, he tells me to get the weather and a plane while he ducks out for a smoke.
The weather actually improved from the time I got there. The crystal clear skies that were forecast turned out the be bkn 040. But by the time we got out, the clouds had blown away and we had a few at 4000.
It's now around 3 PM -- my absolute wort time of the day. This is the time I usually need to fight to keep awake at work -- this was the exact time I was hoping to avoid for my practical test! -- Oh well.
Pre-flight while DPE watches helicopters taxiing around near the school next door. All done, we get into the plane.
We get ATIS and he gets clearance to the north practice area.
First thing is a soft field take-off. I begin to taxi onto the active and forget to hold the nose up -- DPE pulls yolk back for me (doh!)
I affect a fairly decent soft field take-off and climb out reasonably.
We get cleared to own nav, so I begin to turn north. On the way out I put on the hood. Straight and level, a climb, a turn, a descent. I am fighting all the way. Can't seem to hold heading properly, plane is yawing all over the place. There was a bit of a chop, but nothing I haven't handles before. Nerves!
We get out to the practice area and DPE takes the plane -- unusual attitudes. I handle them very well -- no sweat.
Off with the hood (hope I never have to see that thing again!!)
Now it's steep turns. I'm fighting to keep from diving -- don't know why, I never have problems with steep turns.
Complete them, DEP says to set up for slow flight. OK, power back, incremental flaps, maintain altitude (with difficulty), stall horn sounds. There's the break -- nose to the horizon and full power, first notch of flaps out, maintain coordination -- beautiful recovery.
DPE says, "I asked for slow flight, not a power off stall!"
No problem, DPE has me turn to new heading and go into slow flight.
This time I keep it slow but I can't keep it from sloshing side-to-side. I'm beginning to feel like this is lesson 1, like I've never flown before!
DPE comments, but it's OK.
We do a power on stall, which I was really dreading, but handled fairly well.
Next was to pick up the XC route (which happened to be to the north) by tracking BDR VOR. This I did well. We broke off about half way across LI sound and turn back.
DPE pulls power. "You lost your engine"
I go through ABC but pick a marsh to land in, then a parking lot with cars, then a beech -- "my goodness, Bill, what the heck is going on with me??"
Finally DPE points out a preferable site -- a beach heading into the wind.
I go through the check list and all the emergency stuff. I had the beach made, so we aborted.
Next was turns around a point, but the site DPE picked was too close to the Port Jefferson Stacks, so we move west. I pick out a place and I knew the maneuver was sloppy, but apparently adequate.
Back to ISP for touch and gos
First is a normal landing. I flair too much and balloon. A touch of power and level the nose -- decent recovery -- DPE comments.
Next is short field stop and go. I handled the landing well. On takeoff, I dumped the flaps too soon and we sank a little -- I knew I did wrong and explained I should have waited for some altitude and increase in airspeed.
Every time I turned to cross wind I seemed to not be able to coordinate things. DPE kept commenting on this and finally said I had to demonstrate I could make coordinated turns! (I always can, but for some reason not today).
Finally, on the next turn to base he cheers -- says his a** wasn't sliding across the seat!
He says this is a full stop -- do a soft field landing.
I did pretty good on that one.
We taxi back. He says to meet him inside once I secure the plane and he'll make me a pilot
Despite all of the bumbling mistakes, I guess I did good enough to convince him that I can fly safely. Now, I can go out and continue to learn
Last edited:
tonycondon
Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
congrats bill
deac523
Filing Flight Plan
BTW -- thanks to everyone here for the advice and encouragement. It was a real help in getting through this and finally achieving what I've dreamt about for a couple of years.
silver-eagle
En-Route
Hey... it's Captain Bill.... Congrats!
gprellwitz
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2005
- Messages
- 12,762
- Location
- Romeoville, IL
- Display Name
Display name:
Grant Prellwitz
Congratulations! Now get out there and use it!
kevin47881
Final Approach
WTG Pilot Bill!
t0r0nad0
Pattern Altitude
Congrats Captain Bill!
HPNPilot1200
En-Route
Congrats to both, Jim and Bill! Look forward to joining you guys as a certificated private pilot in November.
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
Way to go, Bill!
What?! You're not going to get your instrument rating?! Go have fun with that VFR ticket!
What?! You're not going to get your instrument rating?!
Go have fun with that VFR ticket!
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
My pre checkride was very usefull. I was always having problems with steep turns. I finally asked my instructer to demo....well I was trying to hit the 60 degree tick mark on the Horizon Indicator. duhhhhh no wonder I had so many problems. The 45 degree mark is not a mark, its between the 30 degree tick and the 60 degree tick. Ahhhh NOW I SEE! Another thing that helped is giving the trim a big shot of "up" when starting the manuver.