Curse of the Checkride!

PHXAvi8tor

PHXAvi8tor

Pre-takeoff checklist
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PHXAvi8tor
I've seen many posts -- mostly over at the "red" forum -- about student pilots who get right up to the checkride, and then everything wrong starts happening:
  • The weather goes foul for six weeks solid.
  • The plane breaks down
  • The examiner suddenly is booked solid
  • The student gets horribly ill for three weeks solid.
  • Anything else you can think of comes up to prevent the checkride.
Well, the curse seems to have strayed its way over to my area. I'm ready for my "stage check," or what the school calls its "Progress Check" just before the checkride.

And, every Friday for five weeks now, it has been rainy and stormy. (Fridays are when they want to do the prog check. The rain tradition continued yesterday, when I was scheduled for the prog check. So we didn't get to do it.)

THEN, maintenance decides to toss the Arrow into its 100-hour inspection 20 hours early!!! The Arrow was already down for bad brakes again, so it's probably a good move to just go over it with a fine-toothed comb.

And, then I also heard yesterday that all the Check Airmen are booked solid for one whole week!

So, the curse of the checkride is continuing.

I'm desperate to find an Arrow in the PHX area that I can rent/borrow for two hours on Sunday or Monday. I just want to do a solo/dual flight to ensure I remain proficient for the checkride.

So, if anyone out there has an Arrow in PHX that I can do some private and commercial teaching practice in this weekend, let me know!

Darn Curse of the Checkride, anyway!
 
No. It is the curse of the 141 school. You started when? I think I started after you, and finished 3 months ago.
 
EdFred said:
No. It is the curse of the 141 school. You started when? I think I started after you, and finished 3 months ago.
Click to expand...

Yes, Fred, I think this is the second or third time you've told me that.

Thanks for the reminder.
 
Ed will keep you apprised, too. He's good about that.
 
ITs not a 141 problem, at least not in general. I got my CFI 1.5 months after my commercial at my 141 school. Personally I think your CFI is stringing you along. All evidence points that you are more than ready. Good luck getting it finally done, cant wait!
 
I didn't use a 141 school, and I had the same problem with my PPL checkride. I kept getting so close, and then right before the ride, I'd start screwing everything up.

It'll come.
 
Fortunately, mine's just bad weather and mechanical issues.

They can't blame that on me, my performance, or use it as an excuse to string me along.

Meantime, I'm hunting for an Arrow in the KPHX or KDVT area, if anyone has one, so that I can beg, borrow, rent, steal, to stay proficient for the checkride.

The school won't get my money for proficiency maintenance while we await Wx and repairs to be completed.
 
PHXAvi8tor said:
And, every Friday for five weeks now, it has been rainy and stormy. (Fridays are when they want to do the prog check. The rain tradition continued yesterday, when I was scheduled for the prog check. So we didn't get to do it.)
Click to expand...

Why the heck on a Friday? Sure, if that's their preference for some reason then fair enough for the first couple of Fridays. However, at this point (once you find an aircraft), I'd strongly suggest that the first flyable day will work just fine, and they'd better have a darn good reason for asking you to wait.
 
Same thing Happened to me....Was ready for my retest for my instrument, and had to reschedule 4 times (WX below ILS minimums) in Dec '05. The WX went to fog for what seemed like a whole month. Finally got the rating last January.

It just comes down to Murphy's Law

Pete
 
The curse continues!!! Dagnabit! :eek:

Last Friday, it rained cats and dogs and even snowed in Phoenix for the first time in 100 years! That was the day of my "Prog Check" before the FAA checkride.

So, we did a 7-hour oral exam (it would have only been 5, but decided since it was raining to dig deeper into it).

Tomorrow, I was supposed to do the flight portion, but the plane went into its 100-hour inspection this morning and won't be out until next week!

And, next week's forecast calls for more rain!

I caught a cold this morning, too, from all the stress!

I can't believe it.

Does this happen to most who are trying to get to their checkride?
 
each of my three checkrides were rescheduled three times, some due to wx, some due to mx, one to health of the DE's wife. He and I just wound up laughing about it by my commercial checkride. Shizzle happens.
 
PHXAvi8tor said:
The curse continues!!! Dagnabit! :eek:

Does this happen to most who are trying to get to their checkride?
Click to expand...

Not me, My private was a beautiful So Cal day, my multi we used SVFR to get out and back in a fog layer that went up to 200'. My instrument departed VFR, but ended with a partial panel non precision approach through the marine layer in actual to just above minimums. My commercial rides SEL, SES & MEL were done in Laughlin in May and you couldn't ask for better weather. CFI was done in severe clear with the Santa Annas blowing stink on sh-t but right down the runway. Manuvers were interesting though in 40+ kt winds. All went per schedule though.
 
Curse continues:

1. Was scheduled to fly last Friday -- plane went into 100-hour inspection that same day. Cancelled.

2. Rescheduled unexpectedly to Tuesday this week (tomorrow): 100-hour reveals camshaft seal required -- extra two days.

3. Rain forecast for rest of this week.

4. I am still sick with bad cold.

Aviation gods must hate me. ...
 
Go out to Mesa. I got my multi-engine Checkride on Dec. 31, 2003. If they are still in business, I recommend Arizona Aviation. I do not know if they have an Arrow. They really worked hard to help with my schedule.:yes:
 
It's not a curse. It's just the Universe giving you the one important lesson that your instructor neglected. Patience.
 
:D
fgcason said:
It's not a curse. It's just the Universe giving you the one important lesson that your instructor neglected. Patience.
Click to expand...


Good point. And, the FoI says impatience is one of the biggest impediments to learning.

Something happened today, and I finally found myself at peace (after more than 10 solid days of rain, illness, mechanical failures, and check airmen who wouldn't fly on weekends, which was the only time both the Wx and the airplane cooperated).

I finally decided, or allowed myself to accept, that the ride will happen whenever it's gonna happen.

I just said to the universe, "OK, I'm going to go about life now. When you're ready for me to take the checkride, let me know. Until then, I have other things to do."
:D
 
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