I wrote this document about my checkride, more than a few years ago. I hope this helps.
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Instrument Checkride notes:
PREFLIGHT:
I walked outside to the airplane, and began pre-flight prep. Typical pre-flight process, just be thorough, and if you don't use a checklist, be sure to grab it and read it before you announce that you're ready to go inside the airplane.
I missed checking the pitot heat. So I reached in, turned on the master and pitot heat. I grabbed the pitot tube with my hand and verified that it became warm in 15-20 seconds.
I had on my lapboard a SAFETY pre-flight briefing paper. I went through it and he appreciated that I did.
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gsl...82/6.5 Passenger Safety Briefing JanFeb07.pdf
After start-up, be thorough, then turn on avionics. Check the dates on the face of the Garmin 430 for expiration dates. Point them out. On the next page, the Garmin shows the status of the CDI. Honestly, I've never read that page before. He asked me questions about it, and I faked my way through it. I got lucky. I didn't fool him though, and in the post-flight briefing, he asked me to get more familiar with that page and exactly what it means.
Next, I said over the intercom: “Falcon Clearance Delivery, this is Cessna 9945Q, looking for IFR Clearance.” He replied to me with an IFR clearance to CGZ via Mesa1. I read it back, and was sure to mock using my fingers to set the Transponder code.
ROLLING OUT:
Begin by getting the airport diagram on your lap. Immediately on rolling, check your brakes. Talk-aloud while you check your instruments on rolling. Head to the runup area, and note Falcon's new procedure, to announce on ground when you've completed your runup.
In the runup area, be thorough, check everything and set everything.
I used a pre-departure briefing, and he appreciated this. In no way in real life would I read this to a passenger. It borders on too much information to me. I'm afraid I'd freak them out:
This will be a normal takeoff. We will departing on runway 4R with an initial altitude of 4,500 feet. We will depart climbing at 75kias. If we have any problems before rotation or within the first third of the runway, we will abort. Standard emergency procedures will be used in the event of engine failure without adequate runway remaining. Best glide is 65 KIAS. We won’t even think about returning to this airport unless we are at 1,000 AGL. Any questions or comments?
The takeoff was normal, and at 500' agl I turned to 220 for the Mesa1 departure. It was upon beginning the turn that he asked me to wear the foggles.
ENROUTE:
His departure clearance to 4,500 was amended in-flight to 3,500 so we “won't have to bother with them”. (Class B airspace). Upon reaching 3,500 I said out loud: “pitch, power, trim, mixture”.
I tuned in ASOS and copied it prior to IFNUR.
As we closed in on TFD, he said, “Cessna 45Q, upon reaching 14DME TFD, arc to the West.” I acknowledged and wrote it on my kneeboard in my own shorthand. We did a very small DME-arc. At 15 DME, he asked when I was turning for the DME arc. As if impatient. I said I'd turn for the arc beginning at 14.5. That satisfied him. I guess I should have said this out loud after receiving the instruction and acknowledging it. Something such as: “I was just given an arc to fly. We'll begin turning-in one half mile prior.” I turned-in at rolled out at 13.9 DME. I flew the arc for a short time. Then I was directed to fly direct to TFD.
FIRST APPROACH:
He then said: “Cessna 45Q, Stanfield VOR is out of service. State intentions.”
There are three approaches, and two of the three need the Stanfield VOR. Only the GPS can be flown without, and I replied that I'd request the GPS approach to CGZ. He replied: “Cessna 45Q, expect the GPS approach to Casa Grande”. I loaded and began the approach, and began flying to the hold. Then he asks, “What are you approved to do?” (not his exact words). I replied back explaining that I've been told to expect the approach, but not cleared for it. “What if you're not cleared when we get there?” Then we'll hold, query ATC and expect further instruction. My replies were satisfactory.
Then he says: Cessna 45Q, winds are unavailable at Casa Grande. This begins a discussion where we descend to circling minimums, locate the wind sock, and choose the correct runway on which to land. So now the GPS approach is a circling approach.
Then he says the radios seem to not be working. So I went through the drill:
Me: Phoenix Approach, this is Cessna 45Q, how do you hear
Him: There's no answer
Me: I've checked my wiring to my headset and I try again.
Him: There's no answer
Me: Can you please use your headset and try to get an answer from them?
Him: There's no answer
Me: Let's try hailing on 121.5
Him: There's no answer
Me: I'm changing my code to 7600.
Him: When will we approach the airport?
Me: After one turn in the hold.
I haven't said this yet, but he managed “the stack”. Also, on the way out, he asked me to tune to the practice area frequency. I told him I didn't know it, as my instructors have always managed this aspect of flight. He seemed puzzled over this, but accepted it, and had me dial in (122.85?) and set it up for him.
I followed the GPS approach as the GPS told me to. I had the Nav page with the purple trace on my screen, and it went well. We did a teardrop entry, and then did the hold. Upon reaching the beginning of the descent, he pulled out two post-its and covered the AI and the DG. Upon this happening, I said: “Phoenix approach 9945Q. We've lost our vacuum and are making the GPS approach no-gyro.” He reminds me the radios aren't working. I repeated, saying “9945Q, transmitting in the blind. No gryo to Casa Grande. On the GPS approach.” His reaction made me feel as if this mock communication was unnecessary with respect to the checkride, but it wasn't noted as a bad thing. We made the approach to circling minimums. He handled the radio calls. He had me come visual and we observed the windsock. We circled and landed on Rwy 5. I did a no-flaps landing, and floated somewhat down the runway. (for which I later got a scolding). Just a memo that instrument training makes one sometimes forget that you actually have to land it!
The circling GPS approach resulted in a touch-n-go. He said TFD and the radios and instruments are all now working. The post-its were removed. He said to climb to climb to 3,500 and go direct TFD. I climbed 500' and began a standard-rate turn back to TFD. He asked me to put the foggles back on. He said the radios are now working, and that I was to expect the VOR approach.
SECOND APPROACH:
The stack was empty. We climbed to 3,500 and did a VOR approach. He asked me what type of hold entry I was planning. I said parallel. The VOR approach was full-panel with nothing odd. Resulted in a miss. We missed and returned to TFD. He said to expect the ILS.
THIRD APPROACH:
The stack had two in it, and we entered at 4,500. It was quickly amended to 4,000 as the stack was quickly emptying. We did two turns in the hold to accommodate the stack, then did the ILS. One error I made during the ILS. Crossing the VOR at 3,500, the glideslope began to come in. I was going to just fly 3,500 to intercept the glideslope. He says, calmly, “Follow the procedure.” I look quickly, and see that the procedure is to descent to 3,200 THEN intercept the glideslope. I initiate a quick descent to 3,200, level off and then intercept the glideslope. The ILS was flown to the minimum. He then had me touch-n-go.
In the post-flight briefing he indicated I followed the glide slope beautifully but my left/right corrections were too much. I believe it was my zeal to keep the localizer from drifting too far that drove me to the borders of overcorrection.
HEADING HOME:
He didn't ask me to re-foggle. Just asked me to turn to 330, and climb to 3,500. It was as if the checkride was almost over. Then, a couple of moments later, as if it had been overlooked, he asked me to put on the foggles, and we did three unusual attitude recoveries. On the first one, he handed me the plane back straight and level! The fact that I didn't put a straight and level plane into an unusual attitude by mistake was later noted as very good.
We overflew Chandler, on the way to FFZ. He handled all the communication. I took the moment VFR to relax a little, but do keep in mind, the checkride isn't OVER. You are still being evaluated.
LANDING:
We did a normal landing on 22L, and had the rare pleasure of watching a B-17 taxi by us on Delta. It's moving slowly and blocking our normal path. Tower says: “45Q, you're approved to stop on the runway to wait for the B-17 that's on Delta.”.
I took them at their word, and answered back: “45Q will be full-stop on the runway as the B17 passes.” Verbally, I said I was executing the post-landing checklist, and did so, pulling out the list from the pocket, raising the flaps, and touch everything else as appropriate. The B-17 clears our path, and we begin the taxi back to Classic. He quizzes me on my checking of the instruments during the taxi back. I tell him I have been watching the turn coordinator during our taxi to make sure it's properly functioning. (well, maybe that's a lie.) Then I say the altimeter is still registering an acceptable altitude, the VSI is zero, the airspeed is zero. I'm scolded for not executing a post-landing checklist. I explained that I did so while stopped on the runway waiting for the B-17, and that I even said I was doing so, out loud. He accepted my correction without question. Probably the B-17 was a distraction.
