Passed my Instrument Checkride!

M

Maurice Ellis

Filing Flight Plan
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Went to Dennis Einstein out the Philly FSDO at Wilmington(KILG) on 8/30/2016 to meet and brief what would topics would be on the checkride. Followed up on 9/2/2016 for the actual checkride. With me I brought everything stated in ACS/PTS (Examiner's fee, foggles, documents, maintenance records, etc) as well as the printouts needed for the "cross-country portion". Began on the oral, started asking me questions relating on what you need to do to remain instrument current, when you need to file an alternate, weather for the area from the charts you brought and what's associated with it, lost com procedures, what things meant on the low altitude enroute chart, things about approaches such as HAA/HAT, as well as a few other things. Usually when he writes something down on a piece of paper, it means I would have to look over it again because I wasn't particularly knowledgeable on the topic, but we went over it at the end of the oral because I only had 3 quick topics that I could correct myself and elaborate on. So the oral went really well!

Got to the flying portion, obtained weather and ifr clearance on ground (had a little issue getting the clearance because the volume on my headset was fine for me, but too loud for him, so I had to ask ground to repeat the clearance). Simulated a portion of the XC flight, got off the victor airway to prepare myself for the VOR-A into Millville (KMIV), did the entry and an extra hold, when flying inbound there was another plane in the vicinity so I had to get off the course and get back on it, which he was okay with (he told me to do it), got back on the inbound course and went missed at the MAP (11DME), got radar vectored for the ILS RWY 01 and did a straight-in approach touch-and-go, after that we went back towards KILG, on the way did some flights at unusual attitudes, and then a no-gyro LOC RWY 01 circling approach onto RWY 09, and there he asked me what I could've done better, said that I could've done a little bit better on my radio stack, ILS could've been a bit more stabilized (was still within like 2/4, but I usually keep it right on the needles), I got off my altitude once but corrected immediately, and could've done better towards the end of my no-gyro approach (it was stabilized and everything, I was just a little confused on what he was saying to me because he mentioned "missed" (forgot exactly what he said) but as I was about to start my climb for missed procedures, he just said circle to land on RWY 09) and I did. Went in his office, debriefed, walked back out with my Temporary Airman Certificate!

It was a pretty straight forward checkride, and I knew I was definitely prepared for it, although a little nervous haha.

Long story short, great oral, ok/good flight, passed and now instrument rated!
 
Congrats! Now go find a cloud and play inside of it. Seriously, you'll be a safer pilot now. Just know and set your personal minimums as you explore and gain experience with your rating.
 
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Thanks! That's the great thing about ACS, even before it came into existence, I had always set my personal minimums even when I was an instrument student. Hopefully the ACS will encourage new students that pursue ratings and certifications to have their own personal requirements and that the bare minimums set-forth by the FAR/AIM isn't enough, especially when you're new to all of this stuff.
 
Maurice Ellis said:
Went to Dennis Einstein out the Philly FSDO at Wilmington(KILG) on 8/30/2016 to meet and brief what would topics would be on the checkride. Followed up on 9/2/2016 for the actual checkride. With me I brought everything stated in ACS/PTS (Examiner's fee, foggles, documents, maintenance records, etc) as well as the printouts needed for the "cross-country portion". Began on the oral, started asking me questions relating on what you need to do to remain instrument current, when you need to file an alternate, weather for the area from the charts you brought and what's associated with it, lost com procedures, what things meant on the low altitude enroute chart, things about approaches such as HAA/HAT, as well as a few other things. Usually when he writes something down on a piece of paper, it means I would have to look over it again because I wasn't particularly knowledgeable on the topic, but we went over it at the end of the oral because I only had 3 quick topics that I could correct myself and elaborate on. So the oral went really well!

Got to the flying portion, obtained weather and ifr clearance on ground (had a little issue getting the clearance because the volume on my headset was fine for me, but too loud for him, so I had to ask ground to repeat the clearance). Simulated a portion of the XC flight, got off the victor airway to prepare myself for the VOR-A into Millville (KMIV), did the entry and an extra hold, when flying inbound there was another plane in the vicinity so I had to get off the course and get back on it, which he was okay with (he told me to do it), got back on the inbound course and went missed at the MAP (11DME), got radar vectored for the ILS RWY 01 and did a straight-in approach touch-and-go, after that we went back towards KILG, on the way did some flights at unusual attitudes, and then a no-gyro LOC RWY 01 circling approach onto RWY 09, and there he asked me what I could've done better, said that I could've done a little bit better on my radio stack, ILS could've been a bit more stabilized (was still within like 2/4, but I usually keep it right on the needles), I got off my altitude once but corrected immediately, and could've done better towards the end of my no-gyro approach (it was stabilized and everything, I was just a little confused on what he was saying to me because he mentioned "missed" (forgot exactly what he said) but as I was about to start my climb for missed procedures, he just said circle to land on RWY 09) and I did. Went in his office, debriefed, walked back out with my Temporary Airman Certificate!

It was a pretty straight forward checkride, and I knew I was definitely prepared for it, although a little nervous haha.

Long story short, great oral, ok/good flight, passed and now instrument rated!
Click to expand...

Congrats on becoming a real pilot!
 
Congrats, have fun with the new rating!
 
Commercial is up next! Hopefully I can get it done by the end of the year!

Insurance is handled by the school
 
Congrats! Have fun with it.

Maurice Ellis said:
Thanks! That's the great thing about ACS, even before it came into existence, I had always set my personal minimums even when I was an instrument student. Hopefully the ACS will encourage new students that pursue ratings and certifications to have their own personal requirements and that the bare minimums set-forth by the FAR/AIM isn't enough, especially when you're new to all of this stuff.
Click to expand...

That stuff was being taught long before the ACS appeared and will be being taught long after the ACS is gone.
 
You did your IFR ride at the FSDO, that's some hardcore stuff right there!

Congrats!
 
denverpilot said:
Congrats! Have fun with it.



That stuff was being taught long before the ACS appeared and will be being taught long after the ACS is gone.
Click to expand...
I wasn't saying it wasn't taught, but probably not by every instructor, and DPEs might not have mentioned anything about it. ACS kind of forces the DPE to ask about it which could reinforce the idea that it is good to have one with newly rated pilots.
 
Congratulations.
Now who will be your first passenger to go into clouds with you?
Wife hasn't been with me yet. But friends have and they had no issue with it. :)
 
BigBadLou said:
Congratulations.
Now who will be your first passenger to go into clouds with you?
Wife hasn't been with me yet. But friends have and they had no issue with it. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks, have no idea yet haha. Hopefully a friend,my sister, or dad. Mom is scared of planes,yet married to a pilot.:rolleyes:
 
congrats, great accomplishment.
I am about to start my IR training. What is the best advice you have for someone going into the training?..
Do you recommend any programs, vids, PC sims, websites... etc.
I already took the instrument rating written, so im good on that. I will also be doing the training part 141.

thanks
 
BalooAirService said:
congrats, great accomplishment.
I am about to start my IR training. What is the best advice you have for someone going into the training?..
Do you recommend any programs, vids, PC sims, websites... etc.
I already took the instrument rating written, so im good on that. I will also be doing the training part 141.

thanks
Click to expand...
Study the books man (I used Jeppesen and oral exam guide), it will definitely make the oral run smoothly on the checkride, and I learned a lot that my instructor/ground instructor never even discussed with me. Once we started doing some instrument approaches, I would go home and fly the approaches that we performed in the actual plane (as well as a few others) on Flight Simulator X.

Video wise, I didn't really watch many other than the ones that have the DPE's discussing the instrument checkride. Some channels that could provide a little of information would probably be MzeroA and the UND Aerocast youtube channels.
 
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