PhantomCougar
Pre-Flight
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
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Phantom
Well I passed my Comm Practical this morning. Too me it's a non-event, mostly because I expected to pass it and it is still 2 checkrides short of my ultimate goal (the CFI and CFII), so no need to pass congrats at this time.
My checkride was in Falls City NE with a DPE who learned to fly in 1941. So I was very excited to learn from his expereinces of his almost 70 year career. I had never been to Falls City - FNB before so for the last month, by my computer desk, I had the A F/D entry for FNB posted so I would have every little detail memorized. I knew the winds might be a factor as FNB has one landing surface 14-32. Last night I checked the WX and it said that winds may be out of the south at 10 kts, so I made a decision to call it off if the x-wind component would exceed 10 kts (x-winds are my weak spot).
I get up this morning and the winds are predicted to be about the same and since the WX is supposed to be bad the rest of the week with bad weather, and because I was tired of waiting, I launched from home for the 30 minute flight down to FNB in the Arrow. My trip down also allowed me to hit 250 hrs, the minimum for the Part 61 Commercial.
I met up with the DPE and we go through the oral part of the test. I had spent a week cramming all sorts of new info, mostly about the aircraft systems, and he did ask me what would happen if the prop control lost pressure (centrifuge and springs relax the prop to the high RPM setting), and he did ask me why aileron up/down travel is different (to control adverse yaw), but that was it. Everything else I was quizzed on was stuff I had known for a long time (how a CG shift affects stall speeds, cruise speeds, performance and stability, what inspections must be current on the aircraft and how long they are good for, what the altitudes are for oxygen requirements). He looks over my flight plan to Amarillo, and after 30 minutes we are off to fly.
We flew the flight plan to the first checkpoint and then discontinued for maneuvers. Nailed the Chandelles, Steep Turns, Lazy Eights, Stalls, and Flight at slow airspeed (I had memorizied the PTS for all manuevers, so I really think that helped). Then we did a simulated engine out and I talked through all the steps (best glide, select landing spot, check fuel, spark, and oxygen). Rolled out of the spiraling descent on extended base for a corn field at 1000 feet and he said all looks good, let's go do eights on pylons.
During all this time, the winds had increased beyond the 10 kts forecast and as such, winds were now 19 kts G 26. So eights on pylons were very tough, getting tossed around in turbulence. Entered them at 1200 feet on the downwind, immediately began a descending turn as GS decreased. If I hadn't talked my way through it, I don't think he would have known what I was doing as we were just getting hammered by turbulence. Though for the most part, I thought they went well but at one point the pylon was so close in that I could not see it for the roof of the airplane, I had to use the roads leading up to it as my reference. After one circuit, he says it is time to head back to do some landings.
Oh, and that 19G26 wind was now a 80 degree cross wind. [BLEEP] Holy [BLEEP]. I come down the chute with probably a 30 degree crab and decide to establish my side slip early and I had full left rudder and it felt like full right aileron and nailed the son of a [BLEEP]. And he then asked me to do a short field landing and a power off 180 and nailed those [BLEEP] too.
I guess my personal x-wind limits are a little too conservative. But was glad to be done, paid the fee (wow that has gotten expensive), and was on my merry way.
Checkrides are 50% attitude and 50% aptitude. Go in there with the mentality and knowledge that you know your stuff and that you are going to pass, and you will do just fine. Give direct answers to the questions asked. Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know everything.
What did I learn from the DPE? That high altitudes (10,000 feet) work great for getting drunk PAX to pass out and that airport info on sections now show info on which runways that have non-standard traffic patterns (right patterns). Hey I hadn't noticed that before.
I just though I would share what I learned for any other aspiring student someday. Like I said, no need to send congrats or Wows, just wanted to share my experience.
My checkride was in Falls City NE with a DPE who learned to fly in 1941. So I was very excited to learn from his expereinces of his almost 70 year career. I had never been to Falls City - FNB before so for the last month, by my computer desk, I had the A F/D entry for FNB posted so I would have every little detail memorized. I knew the winds might be a factor as FNB has one landing surface 14-32. Last night I checked the WX and it said that winds may be out of the south at 10 kts, so I made a decision to call it off if the x-wind component would exceed 10 kts (x-winds are my weak spot).
I get up this morning and the winds are predicted to be about the same and since the WX is supposed to be bad the rest of the week with bad weather, and because I was tired of waiting, I launched from home for the 30 minute flight down to FNB in the Arrow. My trip down also allowed me to hit 250 hrs, the minimum for the Part 61 Commercial.
I met up with the DPE and we go through the oral part of the test. I had spent a week cramming all sorts of new info, mostly about the aircraft systems, and he did ask me what would happen if the prop control lost pressure (centrifuge and springs relax the prop to the high RPM setting), and he did ask me why aileron up/down travel is different (to control adverse yaw), but that was it. Everything else I was quizzed on was stuff I had known for a long time (how a CG shift affects stall speeds, cruise speeds, performance and stability, what inspections must be current on the aircraft and how long they are good for, what the altitudes are for oxygen requirements). He looks over my flight plan to Amarillo, and after 30 minutes we are off to fly.
We flew the flight plan to the first checkpoint and then discontinued for maneuvers. Nailed the Chandelles, Steep Turns, Lazy Eights, Stalls, and Flight at slow airspeed (I had memorizied the PTS for all manuevers, so I really think that helped). Then we did a simulated engine out and I talked through all the steps (best glide, select landing spot, check fuel, spark, and oxygen). Rolled out of the spiraling descent on extended base for a corn field at 1000 feet and he said all looks good, let's go do eights on pylons.
During all this time, the winds had increased beyond the 10 kts forecast and as such, winds were now 19 kts G 26. So eights on pylons were very tough, getting tossed around in turbulence. Entered them at 1200 feet on the downwind, immediately began a descending turn as GS decreased. If I hadn't talked my way through it, I don't think he would have known what I was doing as we were just getting hammered by turbulence. Though for the most part, I thought they went well but at one point the pylon was so close in that I could not see it for the roof of the airplane, I had to use the roads leading up to it as my reference. After one circuit, he says it is time to head back to do some landings.
Oh, and that 19G26 wind was now a 80 degree cross wind. [BLEEP] Holy [BLEEP]. I come down the chute with probably a 30 degree crab and decide to establish my side slip early and I had full left rudder and it felt like full right aileron and nailed the son of a [BLEEP]. And he then asked me to do a short field landing and a power off 180 and nailed those [BLEEP] too.
I guess my personal x-wind limits are a little too conservative. But was glad to be done, paid the fee (wow that has gotten expensive), and was on my merry way.
Checkrides are 50% attitude and 50% aptitude. Go in there with the mentality and knowledge that you know your stuff and that you are going to pass, and you will do just fine. Give direct answers to the questions asked. Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know everything.
What did I learn from the DPE? That high altitudes (10,000 feet) work great for getting drunk PAX to pass out and that airport info on sections now show info on which runways that have non-standard traffic patterns (right patterns). Hey I hadn't noticed that before.
I just though I would share what I learned for any other aspiring student someday. Like I said, no need to send congrats or Wows, just wanted to share my experience.
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