flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
Gack.
My PP-ASEL was easy. 42.6 hours. Heck, Ben even started the "IHKFGHTSQ club" (I Hate Kent For Getting His Ticket So Quickly) on the old AOPA board.
Instrument is a different story. I've been doing plenty of flying besides training, but I have about 275 TT, 115 XC PIC, and 90 instrument time. I took my first instrument lesson in September of 2003. It's been much more difficult (though I can probably attribute part of that to an extremely thorough CFII). I've been very close to a checkride twice (Nov. 04 and Jul. 05) and had conflicts which kept me from flying for a while and set me back.
I finally got the signoff. My oral went well (DPE's comment: "I really like your thought processes.) I was in a different airplane because "my" airplane is having about $9000 worth of unscheduled engine work done to it.
My flight plan was to KSPI. We took off on 32 and got vectored around to the south, and joined V9. After reaching cruising altitude and being handed over to RFD approach, I canceled IFR. I got hit with a bunch of stuff at once: From 045, a clearing turn to 360 while slowing to 65 knots, then clearing turn to 090. After starting the second turn, I had to keep the lower power setting I was using to slow down and stall in the turn at that power setting.
Next, I had to intercept the 001 radial off JVL and fly north on it. Then, I was given some holding instructions. Due to a misunderstanding, I started the hold south of the fix. The DPE, playing ATC, asked that I read the approach clearance back to him and gave me an amended clearance that had me holding north of the fix.
After entering the hold, we did unusual attitudes. I've gotten really good at those and easily recovered from all of them.
Finally, it was time for the approaches. We started out with the ILS 36. This was fairly easy, I had lots of time to get set up for it and, well, it's an ILS. The localizer was nailed, and the glideslope was too until about 100 feet above DH. I still kept it within one dot.
We missed off that approach and got vectors for a climb to do the full VOR 32 approach. There was a nice wind out of the West, so I ended up getting basically dumped right on top of the VOR and cleared for the approach in short order, not nearly enough time to get set up. I asked for a hold so I could have more time, ATC offered vectors instead. Due to time constraints, the DPE acted as my autopilot for a moment so that we could avoid either of the above. (I did at least think to start my timer when crossing the VOR.) I quickly set up and briefed the approach, did the procedure turn, and headed inbound. (Oh, BTW, this one was partial panel.) This approach went quite well also. We got the option this time and I did a touch and go.
Finally, the non-precision circling approach. We got vectored back around for the ILS to 36 but the #1 radio failed just after I went missed off the last approach. I quickly tuned Approach and Tower into #2 (Hooray for flip-flops) and the localizer as well. We climbed to 3000 and were assigned a 200 heading. Enough time for a trip through the approach checklist. Everything's clicking, I informed Approach that we wanted to circle for 32. Almost there!
Next, I got a vector to 070, completed the landing checklist, and we were given the approach clearance: "Archer 8262 Sierra, three miles from OZMIX, turn left heading 020, maintain two thousand seven hundred until established, cleared ILS 36, localizer only at your discretion." The localizer was alive before I even started the turn, so I continued the turn all the way to the inbound course and managed to get the needle centered perfectly right off the bat. OK, we're established, we're high, we can go down. I began the descent.
One minute later...
DPE: "Where's OZMIX?"
Me: Oh &*()@%.
I knew without even looking that I was still outside the fix. I knew I was WAY too low, and I knew that I failed.
DPE: "That's too bad, because you were flying a beautiful checkride. Until that happened, you were at ATP standards for the whole ride."
That statement kinda surprised me because it was awfully bumpy today and I had to work hard just to fly straight. But, it was going really well. It certainly reminded me of the quote: "That was some of the best flying I've ever seen - Right up to where you got killed."
The problem: I was at 3,000 feet. I was OK to descend to 2,700. I was on the Localizer portion of the approach, but my brain was on the ILS and I forgot to stop the descent and wait for the fix.
So, in an hour I go up with the CFII for another approach, and back up with the DPE at 9 AM tomorrow. I'm gonna have to work really hard to remember #'s 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, ... in Cap'n Ron's checkride advice.
My PP-ASEL was easy. 42.6 hours. Heck, Ben even started the "IHKFGHTSQ club" (I Hate Kent For Getting His Ticket So Quickly) on the old AOPA board.
Instrument is a different story. I've been doing plenty of flying besides training, but I have about 275 TT, 115 XC PIC, and 90 instrument time. I took my first instrument lesson in September of 2003. It's been much more difficult (though I can probably attribute part of that to an extremely thorough CFII). I've been very close to a checkride twice (Nov. 04 and Jul. 05) and had conflicts which kept me from flying for a while and set me back.
I finally got the signoff. My oral went well (DPE's comment: "I really like your thought processes.) I was in a different airplane because "my" airplane is having about $9000 worth of unscheduled engine work done to it.
My flight plan was to KSPI. We took off on 32 and got vectored around to the south, and joined V9. After reaching cruising altitude and being handed over to RFD approach, I canceled IFR. I got hit with a bunch of stuff at once: From 045, a clearing turn to 360 while slowing to 65 knots, then clearing turn to 090. After starting the second turn, I had to keep the lower power setting I was using to slow down and stall in the turn at that power setting.
Next, I had to intercept the 001 radial off JVL and fly north on it. Then, I was given some holding instructions. Due to a misunderstanding, I started the hold south of the fix. The DPE, playing ATC, asked that I read the approach clearance back to him and gave me an amended clearance that had me holding north of the fix.
After entering the hold, we did unusual attitudes. I've gotten really good at those and easily recovered from all of them.
Finally, it was time for the approaches. We started out with the ILS 36. This was fairly easy, I had lots of time to get set up for it and, well, it's an ILS. The localizer was nailed, and the glideslope was too until about 100 feet above DH. I still kept it within one dot.
We missed off that approach and got vectors for a climb to do the full VOR 32 approach. There was a nice wind out of the West, so I ended up getting basically dumped right on top of the VOR and cleared for the approach in short order, not nearly enough time to get set up. I asked for a hold so I could have more time, ATC offered vectors instead. Due to time constraints, the DPE acted as my autopilot for a moment so that we could avoid either of the above. (I did at least think to start my timer when crossing the VOR.) I quickly set up and briefed the approach, did the procedure turn, and headed inbound. (Oh, BTW, this one was partial panel.) This approach went quite well also. We got the option this time and I did a touch and go.
Finally, the non-precision circling approach. We got vectored back around for the ILS to 36 but the #1 radio failed just after I went missed off the last approach. I quickly tuned Approach and Tower into #2 (Hooray for flip-flops) and the localizer as well. We climbed to 3000 and were assigned a 200 heading. Enough time for a trip through the approach checklist. Everything's clicking, I informed Approach that we wanted to circle for 32. Almost there!
Next, I got a vector to 070, completed the landing checklist, and we were given the approach clearance: "Archer 8262 Sierra, three miles from OZMIX, turn left heading 020, maintain two thousand seven hundred until established, cleared ILS 36, localizer only at your discretion." The localizer was alive before I even started the turn, so I continued the turn all the way to the inbound course and managed to get the needle centered perfectly right off the bat. OK, we're established, we're high, we can go down. I began the descent.
One minute later...
DPE: "Where's OZMIX?"
Me: Oh &*()@%.
I knew without even looking that I was still outside the fix. I knew I was WAY too low, and I knew that I failed.
DPE: "That's too bad, because you were flying a beautiful checkride. Until that happened, you were at ATP standards for the whole ride."
That statement kinda surprised me because it was awfully bumpy today and I had to work hard just to fly straight. But, it was going really well. It certainly reminded me of the quote: "That was some of the best flying I've ever seen - Right up to where you got killed."
The problem: I was at 3,000 feet. I was OK to descend to 2,700. I was on the Localizer portion of the approach, but my brain was on the ILS and I forgot to stop the descent and wait for the fix.
So, in an hour I go up with the CFII for another approach, and back up with the DPE at 9 AM tomorrow. I'm gonna have to work really hard to remember #'s 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, ... in Cap'n Ron's checkride advice.
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