Checkride Prep Question

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Arik L

Filing Flight Plan
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Jul 9, 2021
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Arik
Hello,

What is the best way you guys think, to time XC legs, using a stop watch or just record the time?
Also, what kind of timer/equipment do you guys recommend to use in the cockpit?

Thanks!
 
Wear a watch, keep it simple.
 
Arik L said:
Hello,

What is the best way you guys think, to time XC legs, using a stop watch or just record the time?
Also, what kind of timer/equipment do you guys recommend to use in the cockpit?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Use whatever you prefer. A stopwatch is easier, but the problem is if you forget to start it. With clock time you can fudge if you forget.
 
do u have a gtx345 in the plane? good option, although what dms said above still applies.
 
This isn’t a precision navigator test. Use the ETE, ATE, ATE columns on the nav log, round times to the nearest minute and use a simple watch. For fuel round up to nearest .25 gallon increment for the log and flight.
 
I set up my Apple Watch for:
  • 24-hour local digital display in top-center, with
  • Zulu 24-hr in the top right
  • Count-up elapse stopwatch timer in bottom-left, which I start at takeoff (but can do split-time for legs)
  • At 3-o’clock is the countdown timer. It buzzes the wrist. If I had more fuel tanks than the one I do have, I’d set it for 30-minutes & I’d switch tanks & repeat. You can also use it as a custom countdown timer for each leg. Or missed turn or waypoint timer (if the timer goes off you’ve missed your turn)
  • The bottom-right starts a voice recorder: (Just press record app) that uploads to the cloud via the ifon & transcribes the voice memo as well as records it. Good for a quick note or to reminder for later.
  • Top-left is WatchMetar app (set for my local field or destination) press it to get TAF predictions
  • There is a pretty handy E6B app from Sporty’s—functions, conversions, & calc—but the watch is too small to use it. Of course, any app on the watch is also on your ifon.

737BE2C9-DD6F-4690-A27B-91EC64CBC9E5.png
 
The 420 in my Cessna and 430 W in the Mooney make the best timers because they start counting at the right time.

Failing that a watch works great as long as you remember that you required to have a panel mounted timer.
 
I just finished my checkride 2 days ago and what worked for me was a simple watch w/stopwatch. I recorded the actual time when we took off, and started my stopwatch to record TOC. I just reset it to zero after each check point and that way with a quick glance and no thinking involved I had my time when I reached my next check point. When we did the diversion, I wrote down the actual time I diverted (turned) and reset my stop watch to zero again. When I got my new GS and spun the E6B to get my time to get to my diversion airport, I was able easily say "it'll take 12 minutes from when we diverted and (I took a look at my stopwatch) we've already gone 2 minutes, so it's 10 minutes out and we'll be there at ~9:45am, that'll take about 1 gallon of fuel to get there (rule of thumb for the 172 we were in was 0.1g per 1 minute of flight)".

Good luck with your Checkride!
 
The wings of the Aeronca form the gnomon of a sundial. At our speed, that’s about right (although you should carry an hourglass for imc).
 
We had an early Radio Shack digital timer stuck on the yoke with velcro. I still have it, still works.
 
You have to watch some of those cheap timers, They have substantial errors when the batteries run down. I was doing a miserable job with timed turns until the instructor checked the timer against his watch and was finding it was running slow.
 
flyingron said:
You have to watch some of those cheap timers, They have substantial errors when the batteries run down. I was doing a miserable job with timed turns until the instructor checked the timer against his watch and was finding it was running slow.
Click to expand...

seriously where do you come up with this stuff
 
I read the original post again and you’re right. It was concerning VFR. When I see the need for a timer, flying an IFR hold is what pops into my mind. I stand corrected.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I read the original post again and you’re right. It was concerning VFR. When I see the need for a timer, flying an IFR hold is what pops into my mind. I stand corrected.
Click to expand...
Now that GPS/DME is commonplace, do people really do timed holds???
 
I fully expect that the navigators newer than my 420 and 430 also provide a timer the begins incrementing abeam the waypoint on the outbound leg. Why not use it. It makes a hold so simple that even I can fly it. It seems easier than the magenta line to me. Time, turn and find the inbound course. What could be easier?
 
Well, if you were doing holds, ask for distance holds instead of time. Problem solved.

[I will assume you are /G and not having fun in a Cub]
 
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