Checkride Help

[Catalo]

I'm scheduled to take my instrument check-ride this upcoming Friday. I have my ground pretty solid. I'm able to do everything within pts standards.

I seem to have a big issue with multitasking in a short amount of time. If i am flying from one airport to another 9 miles away i have a very hard time getting setup for an approach talking to center and going through checklists. any suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

Tab the approach charts for that airport in the book, use everything available in the cockpit. Start putting frequencies you are gonna use next in the standby(if your plane is equipped with it). If you are sitting there thinking, "wow, I'm all set" there is probably something you could be doing. If you are getting overloaded, bring the power back and slow down a couple knots, give yourself time to think. Or mentally fly it in your head the night before.

 

[cirrusmx]

fly really slow? but i hear you it can be tough to shoot back to back approaches with almost no time to set up.

 

[warthog1984]

Is there a requirement to fly right from one approach to the other?

Seems like slowing down or holding somewhere for a lap or two while you mentally catch up and reset would be just the ticket.

 

[Clark1961]

As Gucci noted, set up as much as you can as soon as you can. Before departure set things like ATIS or AWOS at the next airport.

The other thing is that nothing in the book sez you can only fly nine miles - ask for delay vectors if ya need'em.

Remember the tricks, you'll get similar challenges when flying IFR after training.

 

[cirrusmx]

As Gucci noted, set up as much as you can as soon as you can. Before departure set things like ATIS or AWOS at the next airport.

The other thing is that nothing in the book sez you can only fly nine miles - ask for delay vectors if ya need'em.

Remember the tricks, you'll get similar challenges when flying IFR after training.

well on real life ifr flying you pretty much have all the en route phase to think about and prepare for the approach, missed procedures, and even brief alternates. This makes real life ifr flying way easier than training. at least imho.

 

[Shawn]

On or before an approach I would ask the DPE what was next. He hit me with one that I was expecting but not 100% briefed on so after the approach was completed then went missed, I asked for and went to the published hold even though the DPE didn't request that. Used that time to brief the next approach and he said to let him know when I was ready for the next approach. Only took a second to get my head into the next approach but he liked that I took the time to pause with a hold then continued when ready.

I knew at least what airports I was going to so I copied down all of the tower, ground, atis, localizer, VOR and approach frequencies for all the airports in the corner of my kneeboard that way they were right there in front of me at a glance rather than fumbling through approach plates for them.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

On or before an approach I would ask the DPE what was next...
I knew at least what airports I was going to so I copied down all of the tower, ground, atis, localizer, VOR and approach frequencies for all the airports in the corner of my kneeboard that way they were right there in front of me at a glance rather than fumbling through approach plates for them.

Great tip!

On my checkride the DPE saw me putting tabs in the approach book for the first approaches at each airport I thought we might do and he said, "I'll just tell you right now we are gonna do the ILS at K***, the VOR at K*** and the GPS approach coupled to the autopilot back into here." Made it pretty easy! No harm in asking.

 

[bobmrg]

Ask for delaying vectors.We have a situation here at Boeing Field where, if the instructor is sufficiently nasty, we go from a departure out of BFI to the south, followed by a turn across the SEA Class B departure path to intercept the ILS into Tacoma Narrows (TIW). Really puts a load on the student/pilot. I had a young lady working on her ATP who had been flying for a regional in the midwest....I tried the BFI-TIW trick on her and the first words she said to Approach were "Request delay vectors." I knew right away that she was ATP material.

Bob Gardner

 

[jordane93]

Cockpit management is key. For my Instrument ride I had all the approaches tabbed out. frequencies, approach course, missed approach procedures, etc highlighted. There were no surprises.