MBDiagMan
Final Approach
The skies of North East Texas are no longer safe for you poor folks that have to share them with me.
My instructor called the DPE Saturday to schedule the ride. In the conversation he asked if I would need to do a wheel landing. If he hadn't asked that question, maybe I would not have had to worry about it. The ride was scheduled for Wednesday 9AM. Until the checkride I was worried about the wheel landing.
Anyway, with that worry on my mind I began preparing Tuesday morning. The first sign of trouble was when I arrived at our little airport terminal building Tuesday and the tables were gone. I called the city to let them know they might have been stolen. They said that they had gotten them for their Christmas party and they would be back in place at 2PM.
So, I spread stuff out wherever I could. I fought the printer there and ultimately went and bought an ink cartridge and just about overhauled it, but finally started getting printouts. This is an unmanned terminal, so the equipment is used and abused by all.
Due to my plane being overweight as well as the DPE being overweight, I was limited on fuel load. This meant that what should have been flight planning for direct to destination, I had to plan a stop. One of the candidate fuel stop airports is closed, so I had to start over with another. These alternatives don't have very good landmarks to use.
We didn't have any weather to practice wheel landings until early yesterday morning before flying to the airport for the checkride. I did a few that stunk. The only good landing that has been even close to what could be called a wheel landing was the one that Wayne from the forum did with me, and that was simply him telling me to fly 6" above the runway and when the wheels touched he told me to land it, at which point I just set it into a three point. That might could have technically been called a wheel landing. Maybe Wayne will comment.
When I got to the airport before Sunrise all nearby airports were reporting very low ceilings. By the time the Sun came up, my home field was clear, but not the destination where the DPE is located. My instructor and I finally headed up there thinking we would have to Scud Run. We could see the wall of clouds that turned out to be heavy haze, but we got under them okay.
Once I got it planned for the fuel stop route, my CFI called and he said to also do one direct as if I had no fuel limitation. This is the one we flew for the checkride after him checking the fuel stop route.
The DPE has a 140 and is an extremely experienced fellow who is known as a tough and almost rude (at times) DPE. In the course of getting information to enter in the FAA system, he saw that my Student Certificate had first been signed off for a 150. He said that because I had flown a 150, that he should just tear it up and throw it away. He is quite the old school tailwheel guy.
He got really upset when I missed a few of the airspace/cloud clearance numbers on the oral. He was quite pleased with my flight plan sheets. He obviously has seen this direct flight planned beaucoup times and he knew what everything should be.
After the oral, we took a break and then he sat in the terminal while I preflighted the plane. The clouds had cleared and it was a beautiful flying day with minimal rough air. He came out and asked me some questions after the oral. My tailwheel tire had been a little low on air pressure this past weekend and I aired it up when I washed the plane, cleaned all the glass inside and out and generally tidy'd up the plane Sunday afternoon. When I preflighted I kicked the tailwheel tire to make sure it was still aired up solid. He got a laugh out of me kicking the tire.
THEN, he had to make his way into the airplane. He's quite elderly, overweight and evidently with stiff joints. It was TOUGH for him to get into the plane to a point I was afraid he wouldn't make it.
He is a real lover of the Cessna 140 and I think I already indicated that he owns one himself. I learned a LOT about 140's that I have yet to have anyone teach me, so it added an additional learning element to my checkride.
We used runway 17 and when I came off the field I announced departure to the South East. I headed SE only momentarily before turning left to a North heading to the destination. I climbed to my altitude and held the heading dead on. I hit my first checkpoint smack on the money and then the second one smack on the money and had been holding heading and altitude EXACTLY.
He then told me the airport to divert to. I had been there before and it was hard to spot then so I was worried. I guessed the heading on the chart, but I of course had already measured it when looking over the chart the day before, because it seemed like an obvious diversion candidate.
I headed for it and guessed the distance. I told him what I expected to see on my timer when I got there. I was dead on the heading, time and got a couple of miles from it before I recognized it for sure. Most airports around here have open area around them, but this one doesn't so it's hard to spot, probably why he uses it.
Once I had it we turned off for maneuvers. I nailed the 360's better than I had ever done them before (thanks Wayne!) I did good S-Turns and around a point, but not spectacular. I flew pretty darn good under the hood, even surprising myself.
Then we were going along to the right of a HUGE field, at least a section (640 acres.) I noticed a high line through it about 2/3 across from my side. He cut the power and said land it. I told him I was setting glide speed and checking fuel, mags, mixture etc. and he said, "this low, don't worry with it, fly the plane." I made a good base and final for the field, but it was so big I could have been at 10,000 feet and got it in there easy. I staid well clear of the high lines and he asked if I had seen them. This emergency landing was a gimme.
He then said use the VOR to get back to the airport. I dialed in the OBS quickly and tracked the VOR like a Champ. I have been hit or miss on this in recent lessons, but I was really on my game for this one.
We went back to the airport and did all the landings and I knocked them out really good with two exceptions: When I slipped I had the nose up too high for him and he yelled at me, I mean REALLY yelled. I had been told by others that it was a guarantee that he would yell and carry on at one point or another. THEN I pretty much blew the wheel landing, but before we did it he indicated that he wouldn't flunk me on it, but he wanted me to try one.
We then went back in and went into the conference room with my instructor following. He then said that if I wanted my certificate that I would have to take his 140 home and leave mine for him. He told my instructor that I could fly real good complementing my VOR tracking and 360's (thanks Wayne) except for:
o I called a South East departure after take off
o I didn't lean for cruise
o I did S Turns and around a point okay, but it was a calm day
o I left my flaps up after one of the stalls and he had to point it out
He entered everything in the computer and printed my temp cert. He reminded my instructor that he needed to add the Tailwheel endorsement to the logbook. When I went to make an entry in my logbook I noticed that it would have been my Dad's 90th. Birthday. I lost him almost two years ago. I got a bit of a lump in my throat.
I filled the plane with fuel since it was 70 cents cheaper there and we came back to my home field. It was nice weather so there were several people out and about, and some of them knew I had gone for my checkride. I sure was glad that I didn't have to tell them that I had flunked.
Thanks for all the help, encouragement, the foggles and even flight instruction that was all selflessly offered to me by posters on this forum.
Doc
My instructor called the DPE Saturday to schedule the ride. In the conversation he asked if I would need to do a wheel landing. If he hadn't asked that question, maybe I would not have had to worry about it. The ride was scheduled for Wednesday 9AM. Until the checkride I was worried about the wheel landing.
Anyway, with that worry on my mind I began preparing Tuesday morning. The first sign of trouble was when I arrived at our little airport terminal building Tuesday and the tables were gone. I called the city to let them know they might have been stolen. They said that they had gotten them for their Christmas party and they would be back in place at 2PM.
So, I spread stuff out wherever I could. I fought the printer there and ultimately went and bought an ink cartridge and just about overhauled it, but finally started getting printouts. This is an unmanned terminal, so the equipment is used and abused by all.
Due to my plane being overweight as well as the DPE being overweight, I was limited on fuel load. This meant that what should have been flight planning for direct to destination, I had to plan a stop. One of the candidate fuel stop airports is closed, so I had to start over with another. These alternatives don't have very good landmarks to use.
We didn't have any weather to practice wheel landings until early yesterday morning before flying to the airport for the checkride. I did a few that stunk. The only good landing that has been even close to what could be called a wheel landing was the one that Wayne from the forum did with me, and that was simply him telling me to fly 6" above the runway and when the wheels touched he told me to land it, at which point I just set it into a three point. That might could have technically been called a wheel landing. Maybe Wayne will comment.
When I got to the airport before Sunrise all nearby airports were reporting very low ceilings. By the time the Sun came up, my home field was clear, but not the destination where the DPE is located. My instructor and I finally headed up there thinking we would have to Scud Run. We could see the wall of clouds that turned out to be heavy haze, but we got under them okay.
Once I got it planned for the fuel stop route, my CFI called and he said to also do one direct as if I had no fuel limitation. This is the one we flew for the checkride after him checking the fuel stop route.
The DPE has a 140 and is an extremely experienced fellow who is known as a tough and almost rude (at times) DPE. In the course of getting information to enter in the FAA system, he saw that my Student Certificate had first been signed off for a 150. He said that because I had flown a 150, that he should just tear it up and throw it away.
He is quite the old school tailwheel guy.He got really upset when I missed a few of the airspace/cloud clearance numbers on the oral. He was quite pleased with my flight plan sheets. He obviously has seen this direct flight planned beaucoup times and he knew what everything should be.
After the oral, we took a break and then he sat in the terminal while I preflighted the plane. The clouds had cleared and it was a beautiful flying day with minimal rough air. He came out and asked me some questions after the oral. My tailwheel tire had been a little low on air pressure this past weekend and I aired it up when I washed the plane, cleaned all the glass inside and out and generally tidy'd up the plane Sunday afternoon. When I preflighted I kicked the tailwheel tire to make sure it was still aired up solid. He got a laugh out of me kicking the tire.
THEN, he had to make his way into the airplane. He's quite elderly, overweight and evidently with stiff joints. It was TOUGH for him to get into the plane to a point I was afraid he wouldn't make it.
He is a real lover of the Cessna 140 and I think I already indicated that he owns one himself. I learned a LOT about 140's that I have yet to have anyone teach me, so it added an additional learning element to my checkride.
We used runway 17 and when I came off the field I announced departure to the South East. I headed SE only momentarily before turning left to a North heading to the destination. I climbed to my altitude and held the heading dead on. I hit my first checkpoint smack on the money and then the second one smack on the money and had been holding heading and altitude EXACTLY.
He then told me the airport to divert to. I had been there before and it was hard to spot then so I was worried. I guessed the heading on the chart, but I of course had already measured it when looking over the chart the day before, because it seemed like an obvious diversion candidate.
I headed for it and guessed the distance. I told him what I expected to see on my timer when I got there. I was dead on the heading, time and got a couple of miles from it before I recognized it for sure. Most airports around here have open area around them, but this one doesn't so it's hard to spot, probably why he uses it.
Once I had it we turned off for maneuvers. I nailed the 360's better than I had ever done them before (thanks Wayne!) I did good S-Turns and around a point, but not spectacular. I flew pretty darn good under the hood, even surprising myself.
Then we were going along to the right of a HUGE field, at least a section (640 acres.) I noticed a high line through it about 2/3 across from my side. He cut the power and said land it. I told him I was setting glide speed and checking fuel, mags, mixture etc. and he said, "this low, don't worry with it, fly the plane." I made a good base and final for the field, but it was so big I could have been at 10,000 feet and got it in there easy. I staid well clear of the high lines and he asked if I had seen them. This emergency landing was a gimme.
He then said use the VOR to get back to the airport. I dialed in the OBS quickly and tracked the VOR like a Champ. I have been hit or miss on this in recent lessons, but I was really on my game for this one.
We went back to the airport and did all the landings and I knocked them out really good with two exceptions: When I slipped I had the nose up too high for him and he yelled at me, I mean REALLY yelled. I had been told by others that it was a guarantee that he would yell and carry on at one point or another. THEN I pretty much blew the wheel landing, but before we did it he indicated that he wouldn't flunk me on it, but he wanted me to try one.
We then went back in and went into the conference room with my instructor following. He then said that if I wanted my certificate that I would have to take his 140 home and leave mine for him.
He told my instructor that I could fly real good complementing my VOR tracking and 360's (thanks Wayne) except for:o I called a South East departure after take off
o I didn't lean for cruise
o I did S Turns and around a point okay, but it was a calm day
o I left my flaps up after one of the stalls and he had to point it out
He entered everything in the computer and printed my temp cert. He reminded my instructor that he needed to add the Tailwheel endorsement to the logbook. When I went to make an entry in my logbook I noticed that it would have been my Dad's 90th. Birthday. I lost him almost two years ago. I got a bit of a lump in my throat.
I filled the plane with fuel since it was 70 cents cheaper there and we came back to my home field. It was nice weather so there were several people out and about, and some of them knew I had gone for my checkride. I sure was glad that I didn't have to tell them that I had flunked.
Thanks for all the help, encouragement, the foggles and even flight instruction that was all selflessly offered to me by posters on this forum.
Doc
