Well as the title states, I passes my checkride for PP-ASEL. Its been a long road which began last May when I started flight training, I could have had it completed about 4 months ago but diffrent reasons (mostly being lazy) prevented that from happening. I've been scheduling and cancelling it since January 3rd. I've had to cancel six or more times, at least five for weather and one mechanical (throttle cable broke on a run-up headed to my checkride).
This morning I got up and checked the weather and it seemed to be fairly decent weather, other than cold. I got my briefing and there was an AIRMET for IFR conditions but they were pretty scatterd. The METAR's for the around the area I would be flying (KEST-KSHL) were either overcast 049 and 7SM or 10SM and CLR, but there were pockets of IFR conditons in the area. I got the plane out and did the run up and departed for KSHL, about five miles west of KEST I could tell off in the distance that it looked like poor visabililty so I checked with KSPW's ASOS when I was about ten miles from there and it was overcast 007 and 1 3/4SM... So back home I head. Called the DPE and told him of this and said that I'll continue watching the weather and give him a call back. Well about 1.5 hours later the region went 10SM and CLR so I filed my flight plane and I headed out. Got to KSHL and greeted the DPE and he checked over all the paper work, logs, etc. and then into the oral. This had me sweating a little. I had a hard time understanding him and I think he had a hard time hearing me (he's been doing this for 46 years) and some of the answers I stated got misunderstood but got through that and off flying we went. We did all the items in the PTS which took right at an hour and head back to the airport to get my temporary certificate and I headed home.
I few things I noticed is that not all instructors teach the same way. My primary instructor had me doing turns around a point at 1/2 mile's and the DPE wanted them at 1/8 mile with 45* bank. I was also taught to add just a bit of power when touching down on a soft field landing and the DPE didn't want this as it may cause a chart wheel. What was they way you were taught?
All in all from start to finish it took about 3 to 3.5 hours to get everything done. I finished this and got my certificate with 46 hours and got to fly for 2.8 hours today. Now I'm debating about doing insturment work... and with the troubles I had getting the checkride done due to weather, it won't be long before I start that.
This morning I got up and checked the weather and it seemed to be fairly decent weather, other than cold. I got my briefing and there was an AIRMET for IFR conditions but they were pretty scatterd. The METAR's for the around the area I would be flying (KEST-KSHL) were either overcast 049 and 7SM or 10SM and CLR, but there were pockets of IFR conditons in the area. I got the plane out and did the run up and departed for KSHL, about five miles west of KEST I could tell off in the distance that it looked like poor visabililty so I checked with KSPW's ASOS when I was about ten miles from there and it was overcast 007 and 1 3/4SM... So back home I head. Called the DPE and told him of this and said that I'll continue watching the weather and give him a call back. Well about 1.5 hours later the region went 10SM and CLR so I filed my flight plane and I headed out. Got to KSHL and greeted the DPE and he checked over all the paper work, logs, etc. and then into the oral. This had me sweating a little. I had a hard time understanding him and I think he had a hard time hearing me (he's been doing this for 46 years) and some of the answers I stated got misunderstood but got through that and off flying we went. We did all the items in the PTS which took right at an hour and head back to the airport to get my temporary certificate and I headed home.
I few things I noticed is that not all instructors teach the same way. My primary instructor had me doing turns around a point at 1/2 mile's and the DPE wanted them at 1/8 mile with 45* bank. I was also taught to add just a bit of power when touching down on a soft field landing and the DPE didn't want this as it may cause a chart wheel. What was they way you were taught?
All in all from start to finish it took about 3 to 3.5 hours to get everything done. I finished this and got my certificate with 46 hours and got to fly for 2.8 hours today. Now I'm debating about doing insturment work... and with the troubles I had getting the checkride done due to weather, it won't be long before I start that.
