Meliss
Pre-takeoff checklist
I took my Multi Engine Commercial Instrument checkride a couple of weeks ago, but I am just now getting around to doing my write up. The morning of my checkride I flew over from SNA-LGB (had to drop an airplane off at MX in LGB for my trip to New York, which was the day after.) So I got to my flight school over an hour early - double checked all the maintenance logs, everything on the airplane, and that all my paperwork was in order. [My initial single engine Commercial was discontinued (/unable to take) because of my endorsements.] But my instructor for my Multi is a DPE himself so I was pretty confident there would be no bobbles with paperwork.
The examiner showed up right on time and while we were going through paperwork he told me to relax - apparently I don't hide my nerves well. We began and he was very upfront about what he expected and I thought the oral was very thorough. We went straight into systems and he asked me about the fuel system, the landing gear, the engine, propeller, turborcharger, and icing equipment. Then we talked a lot about Vmc and single engine aerodynamics. He had me do a weight and balance and we talked about the need for zero fuel weight as well as max gross takeoff vs landing. Then he had me do my performance and single engine calculations [I had done them all ahead of time, but he didn't even look at it - he wanted me to show him I knew how to do it.] Finally we were done and he told me he had nothing to say to me, that he thought I was very well prepared. He also told me [and I got quite a kick out of this] that I was mechanically inclined which I responded by telling him that I am not! I've just studied incredibly hard lol.
So then we took about an hour lunch break before our flight. Every checkride I've ever been on, I always become so much more relaxed once I am in the plane! By this time I was feeling really good and was just very excited to fly. I made sure we had enough gas and all was well with the airplane before he got back from lunch - I then did another thorough walk around in which he quizzed me about a lot of the items on the airplane, finished my preflight and we were ready to go.
I gave a departure briefing, had my plan, and off we went. We get airborne and at 500ft I lose my left engine, did my flow and then he gave me my engine back. As soon as we leveled off at 3,500ft I lost my right engine. We feathered it and did some 30 degree turns both ways with one engine. I then restarted the engine and we went and did maneuvers [steep turns, power-off, power-on and accelerated stalls, and an accelerated descent - which he had me maintain my heading, I've always done it with a 20 degree bank] My steep turn to the left I gained about 75 feet but corrected pretty quickly, and my other maneuvers I felt great about. Then I put on my foggles, pulled out my approach plate, got the ATIS at LGB and started to prepare for the ILS30. Lost my left engine and did the approach single engine - he said afterwards that I had one of the better IFR work that he had seen, he really liked that I kept my power/speed constant on the approach and wasn't constantly making changes. We stayed in the pattern after that and it was the busiest day I've ever flown out of LGB [and it can get crazy!] My short field landing he told me he wanted me to land on the numbers, the point that I usually use is the first taxiway just past the numbers, and that was where I landed. So we taxied back and he told me I either land on the numbers or go around, that the latter half of the runway is closed and unusable. I went around again and landed right on the numbers and he told me we're done and to go back to the school.
Now having taken enough check rides in the past, I knew his silence was not a bad thing and that I had passed [my private check ride, our entire taxi back I thought I had failed]. He shook my hand and I put the airplane away. We did some paperwork and then debriefed - he said he only had two things to critique, how I climbed a bit in my steep turn to the left but that he was happy to see me correct it promptly and we agreed there was some confusion on my first short field landing. He then told me it was one of the better check rides he's given! I cannot wait to build my multi engine time, I feel so lucky and excited to be one step closer to making a living doing what I love!
The examiner showed up right on time and while we were going through paperwork he told me to relax - apparently I don't hide my nerves well. We began and he was very upfront about what he expected and I thought the oral was very thorough. We went straight into systems and he asked me about the fuel system, the landing gear, the engine, propeller, turborcharger, and icing equipment. Then we talked a lot about Vmc and single engine aerodynamics. He had me do a weight and balance and we talked about the need for zero fuel weight as well as max gross takeoff vs landing. Then he had me do my performance and single engine calculations [I had done them all ahead of time, but he didn't even look at it - he wanted me to show him I knew how to do it.] Finally we were done and he told me he had nothing to say to me, that he thought I was very well prepared. He also told me [and I got quite a kick out of this] that I was mechanically inclined which I responded by telling him that I am not! I've just studied incredibly hard lol.
So then we took about an hour lunch break before our flight. Every checkride I've ever been on, I always become so much more relaxed once I am in the plane! By this time I was feeling really good and was just very excited to fly. I made sure we had enough gas and all was well with the airplane before he got back from lunch - I then did another thorough walk around in which he quizzed me about a lot of the items on the airplane, finished my preflight and we were ready to go.
I gave a departure briefing, had my plan, and off we went. We get airborne and at 500ft I lose my left engine, did my flow and then he gave me my engine back. As soon as we leveled off at 3,500ft I lost my right engine. We feathered it and did some 30 degree turns both ways with one engine. I then restarted the engine and we went and did maneuvers [steep turns, power-off, power-on and accelerated stalls, and an accelerated descent - which he had me maintain my heading, I've always done it with a 20 degree bank] My steep turn to the left I gained about 75 feet but corrected pretty quickly, and my other maneuvers I felt great about. Then I put on my foggles, pulled out my approach plate, got the ATIS at LGB and started to prepare for the ILS30. Lost my left engine and did the approach single engine - he said afterwards that I had one of the better IFR work that he had seen, he really liked that I kept my power/speed constant on the approach and wasn't constantly making changes. We stayed in the pattern after that and it was the busiest day I've ever flown out of LGB [and it can get crazy!] My short field landing he told me he wanted me to land on the numbers, the point that I usually use is the first taxiway just past the numbers, and that was where I landed. So we taxied back and he told me I either land on the numbers or go around, that the latter half of the runway is closed and unusable. I went around again and landed right on the numbers and he told me we're done and to go back to the school.
Now having taken enough check rides in the past, I knew his silence was not a bad thing and that I had passed [my private check ride, our entire taxi back I thought I had failed]. He shook my hand and I put the airplane away. We did some paperwork and then debriefed - he said he only had two things to critique, how I climbed a bit in my steep turn to the left but that he was happy to see me correct it promptly and we agreed there was some confusion on my first short field landing. He then told me it was one of the better check rides he's given! I cannot wait to build my multi engine time, I feel so lucky and excited to be one step closer to making a living doing what I love!
