Passed My Check Ride

It takes some training to get past a mistake quickly.

I'm a musician in another life, and the same issue comes up. Beginning musicians miss a note, swear, stamp their feet, then get completely lost, especially in a complex or fast moving tune. The tune goes on without you, and the result is you've made a minor error into a complete train wreck. Then, you learn that a mistake is in the past immediately, because they will compound one another if you let them. With an expert ear, you can hear a pro pit screw up something really nasty, where most of the audience doesn't even notice.

It takes some practice, but it's very much worth it. Problems will compound on their own without you adding to them.

I'm sure there are sports analogies, too, but many games seem to start and stop a whole lot more than music.

But part of this is that the private pilot certificate is a license to learn. That's a way you can learn.
 
Mak, you really think missing a note and getting in a panic correlates with getting in a panic and messing everything up because the engine quits at 200 feet AGL? Just me but, "being a pilot" and "panics easy" just does not seem to fit well. Maybe it just happens when a DPE is in the plane. I have already said way too much. I am done.
 
I don't type clearly sometimes. I apologize for my original wording, it was exaggerated. I wrote that up hours after achieving the biggest goal in my life.

Of course I am speaking of practicing. At this point if I am doing a short field landing it is because of an engine failure.

I know my current limits and at this point grass fields and little strips are not within those limits.

I have 101 hours and have done 411 landings and thus far have managed to not scare anyone.

I will be okay.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I am totally down for this. you are about an hour and a half from me.
Let me get a few rounds of passengers out of the way and in a few weeks, I will bring the family down and we can grab a bite and share stories.
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Cool - we should meet out at T82. Great diner right on the tarmac. Fun XC too flying out over the hill country. I pass right over the top of the LBJ Ranch every trip - including the long runway he had built during his presidency to get a LearJet version of AF1 out there. I took my wife and youngest son over there today for lunch. Weather was awesome!

There's supposedly some good BBQ right off the airport up in Stephenville as well - the FBO will loan you a golf cart to grab some grub. I haven't been up there - be a fun trip...
 
kenjr said:
Cool - we should meet out at T82. Great diner right on the tarmac. Fun XC too flying out over the hill country. I pass right over the top of the LBJ Ranch every trip - including the long runway he had built during his presidency to get a LearJet version of AF1 out there. I took my wife and youngest son over there today for lunch. Weather was awesome!

There's supposedly some good BBQ right off the airport up in Stephenville as well - the FBO will loan you a golf cart to grab some grub. I haven't been up there - be a fun trip...
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DUDE!!!
Hard Eight BBQ is at Stephenville
You land, and they will come pick you up and take you back to the restaurant.

I made sure my first XC was there. Stopped and had lunch there.

Good stuff.
 
kenjr said:
There's supposedly some good BBQ right off the airport up in Stephenville as well - the FBO will loan you a golf cart to grab some grub. I haven't been up there - be a fun trip...
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Unfortunately, the golf carts have been removed. Pilots weren't following the usage rules and now the rest of us are on foot. Bu you can call the restaurant and they will come fetch you at the terminal, then bring you back once you're adequately stuff with smokey meaty goodness.

Let's arrange a fly in to KSEP sometime soon. I'm sure we can get some others from here and DFWPilots.com to participate.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I have 101 hours and have done 411 landings and thus far have managed to not scare anyone.
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Careful, you're probably about due for one then :wink2:

I don't recall how many landings I had when I got my private, probably about the same as you. It was around #450, soon after my checkride that I did my first "arrival" landing. First time flying a fully loaded 172. Would have been a great landing - if it was an F-18 and I was trying to catch the "3" wire...

You definitely sound like you have the right attitude to stay safe in this business a long time. Knowing and respecting your limits and weaknesses is the most important part.

Jeff
 
AggieMike88 said:
Unfortunately, the golf carts have been removed. Pilots weren't following the usage rules and now the rest of us are on foot. Bu you can call the restaurant and they will come fetch you at the terminal, then bring you back once you're adequately stuff with smokey meaty goodness.

Let's arrange a fly in to KSEP sometime soon. I'm sure we can get some others from here and DFWPilots.com to participate.
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I'm in. Let's do it.
 
I'll add my congratulations also! Very helpful to me as I am getting near my check ride for the sport pilot ticket. I have plenty of hours, just need to take the written.
My home airport is North Texas Regional (Sherman) and my CFI is in Gainesville. How would I go about contacting your DPE?
Thank you,
Keith
 
I think this is a tricky thing about simulated short fields. On my checkride I did a nice landing right on the target, raised the flaps, applied maximum braking, and was mentally congratulating myself when the examiner asked why we were still rolling. I was off the brakes and rolling along at normal taxi speed thinking the landing was over. If the end of the runway was looming on real short field I would have, of course, come to a full stop if necessary.

edit: no breaking involved, just braking
jpower said:
:yeahthat:
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graumann said:
I'll add my congratulations also! Very helpful to me as I am getting near my check ride for the sport pilot ticket. I have plenty of hours, just need to take the written.
My home airport is North Texas Regional (Sherman) and my CFI is in Gainesville. How would I go about contacting your DPE?
Thank you,
Keith
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Is your CFI by chance Mr. Brandon Ayers?
 
Well done sir! I enjoyed reading that recap. Welcome to the Small but mighty group of us who are allowed to fly an airplane by ourselves- with a lisence!

Sounds like you had an excellent examiner. I agree that if you show your knowledge in the written and the oral part, the flying part Becomes a little easier!

I loved your lines at the end. My first passenger was my mom too. Go enjoy that first flight with a passenger and fly safe. Congratulations pilot
 
Congrats Pilot, and a great write up, your DPE sounds like a
guy every student hopes to get on their checkride..:thumbsup:
 
Congrats!! Awesome writeup. Now post less, fly more!
 
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numl0ck said:
Congrats!! Awesome writeup. Now post less, fly more!
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My newly minted pilot cert is sitting here staring at me...
TFR for AFW is too close for comfort to my home airport. :confused:
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
My newly minted pilot cert is sitting here staring at me...
TFR for AFW is too close for comfort to my home airport. :confused:
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It's a nice day to get some IFR exposure.

While we have lower clouds and light rain at the moment, very little is convective.
 
Congratulations! Excellent writeup too - almost as if we were right there with you.
 
Brandon Ayers is my CFI, and an excellent instructor. Keith
 
graumann said:
Brandon Ayers is my CFI, and an excellent instructor. Keith
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He's awesome isn't he?
I have thoroughly enjoyed flying with him and made a good friend as well.
Hopefully I will bump into you sometime up there.
 
Congratulations! Really well written, and an especially nice read as I finish my checkride prep, although I can't imagine my DPE pointing out the airport before he kills the engine.
 
DaleB said:
You might forget the brakes on a simulated short field landing... but if and when you have to do one for real you sure as hell won't forget your brakes, regardless of how well you land it.
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This is an issue I have had.

Middle of last week, checkride prep, pattern work on shorts/softs.

"The beginning of the runway is the fixed distance markers"

Ok, no problem. I come in short and put it down probably a good 200-300 feet short of the markers. I get yelled at because I just landed in the "dirt". But you can bet your ass that if that were the REAL threshold, I would have added power.

Occasionally it's hard to wrap your mind around the "reality" when you're simulating something.

Anyways, my CFI said "do that again and I'm going to punch you in the arm as hard as I can"... the rest of my shorts were dead on LOL.

To the OP.... I very much enjoyed your write-up. If it were not for some really crappy weather here the last 7-8 days, I'd probably be doing my checkride tomorrow. In any case it's coming up soon and it was fun to read your account. Hopefully mine will go similar!
 
brooklyn26point2 said:
Congratulations! Really well written, and an especially nice read as I finish my checkride prep, although I can't imagine my DPE pointing out the airport before he kills the engine.
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The DPE for my sport ride failed the engine right over the field without telling me. I figured it out though...perfect time to demonstrate a forward slip!

The DPE for my private failed the engine out over the creeks of the Eastern Shore, and wouldn't you know it, he smelled smoke too. Have you noticed how things tend to fail whenever instructors and DPEs get in the plane? What a concept.
 
jpower said:
The DPE for my sport ride failed the engine right over the field without telling me. I figured it out though...perfect time to demonstrate a forward slip!

The DPE for my private failed the engine out over the creeks of the Eastern Shore, and wouldn't you know it, he smelled smoke too. Have you noticed how things tend to fail whenever instructors and DPEs get in the plane? What a concept.
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No kidding. One reason my right hand seldom leaves the throttle quadrant when a CFI is in the right seat. They just can't seem to be able to leave controls alone. :D
 
Congrats!
Your ride was definitely not a "boiler plate" job, but I think most applicants get a surprise or two.

Don't feel bad that the examiner "played CFI" for part of it... having taken more than one check ride and review, I am a firm believer that if you don't learn something new on such flights, you are not getting your money's worth. Keeping that "student mentality" will protect you from complacency- you can't put a price tag on that. And of course, if you pass, it's all good- regardless of any comments, criticisms, or demonstrations.

My big learning experience on my first check ride was watching the DPE take over for the final landing and basically blowing my mind. He made the (short with no flaps) landing I had been trying to make on that runway at that airport for some time; very nice. I didn't expect a Falcon checkout guy to be still be able to handle a 172 like that at the drop of a hat (but maybe he was flying them more often than I suspected). He didn't present it as an instructional thing; he just took over for the landing without explanation.
 
Congrats..:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Sounds like your DPE was a good one, my stress level was way to high the whole time to remember the detail like you did. Good job
 
Once he took over and started showing me things the flying just got fun. Like flying with an instructor
 
Congrats! I did the very same thing on my check ride when he told me to do a short field landing, it was at my home field and I did it the way we always practiced, he had me go around and do it again.
 
Congratulations!!!
Thanks for a great post.
Reminded me of my Check Ride.
 
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