Starting my Commercial training

snoboy

snoboy

Pre-takeoff checklist
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snoboy
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Hi folks, Ill be starting my commercial training a week from Monday 3/17. Looking for some pointers or insight from the CFIs or people who are commercial rated.
 
snoboy said:
Hi folks, Ill be starting my commercial training a week from Monday 3/17. Looking for some pointers or insight from the CFIs or people who are commercial rated.
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Commercial is about finesse and knowing where the edges of the envelope are, going to them, but NOT exceeding them.
 
Don't use your instruments. It will be hard if you just finished your instrument training, but commercial maneuvers are seat of the pants and visual, not instrument maneuvers. I will actually cover up the instruments at first.
Also, chair fly the maneuvers. Makes it easier to do if you can set them up and visualize them.
 
Blackhawk said:
Don't use your instruments. It will be hard if you just finished your instrument training, but commercial maneuvers are seat of the pants and visual, not instrument maneuvers. I will actually cover up the instruments at first.
Also, chair fly the maneuvers. Makes it easier to do if you can set them up and visualize them.
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Roger that, thanks.
 
Blackhawk said:
Don't use your instruments. It will be hard if you just finished your instrument training, but commercial maneuvers are seat of the pants and visual, not instrument maneuvers. I will actually cover up the instruments at first.
Also, chair fly the maneuvers. Makes it easier to do if you can set them up and visualize them.
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Amen to this. I started Commercial training about a month ago and I still struggle with this. Its kind of like undoing everything I learned but I'm getting there. What I learned so far with the manuevers is SLOW EVERYTHING DOWN! You'll know what I'm talking about when you start doing Chandelles and Lazy 8's.
 
jordane93 said:
Amen to this. I started Commercial training about a month ago and I still struggle with this. Its kind of like undoing everything I learned but I'm getting there. What I learned so far with the manuevers is SLOW EVERYTHING DOWN! You'll know what I'm talking about when you start doing Chandelles and Lazy 8's.
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Lazy eights when done properly the plane will basically do the work in a natural arc, the key is trim; just mind the need for top rudder in climbing left turns.
 
Henning said:
Lazy eights when done properly the plane will basically do the work in a natural arc, the key is trim; just mind the need for top rudder in climbing left turns.
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Many find commercial maneuvers to be pointless, but I have found them to be a true test of someone who can master an airplane and I love teaching them. A lazy eight done properly and smoothly is truly a pleasure to observe as an instructor.
 
Regarding the Lazy 8's, don't use 3 reference points. It over-complicates the maneuver. Just pick a solid 90* point and base the entire maneuver off of that. You should be able to tell when that point is a 45* and 135* in reference to the wing.

It's a lazy maneuver, not one to stress over.
 
The commercial is the most fun rating IMO. Chandelles, lazy eights, power off 180s.. They're not terribly difficult but they take a little time to master. The only one I didn't like was the steep spiral because you descend for several minutes with the gear up at idle which makes the horn go nuts. Eventually mine gets tired though and goes to a terrible static noise instead of a honk.
 
Make sure you understand pivotal altitude. This will let you anticipate the correct change in altitude during 8s on pylons. The key is to make the change before the pylon moves from the reference line/wingtip.
 
snoboy said:
Hi folks, Ill be starting my commercial training a week from Monday 3/17. Looking for some pointers or insight from the CFIs or people who are commercial rated.
Click to expand...


Don't know if you're 141 or 61. But remember that a lot of instructors aren't real high time pilots themselves (at least at the instructing gig) so make sure you get someone really experienced to put you through the ringer with a mock check ride before the actual event. Wish I had. (Ironic how we take people with too little time to make it to a 121 or 135 operation but expect them to do something as critical as teach new pilots how to fly but that's another issue) Try to keep your training in the actual aircraft you will use for the check ride too. I ended up training in two different Arrows with different radio setups and it didn't help simplify things.

By the way. I passed the check ride a few days ago...:D
 
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bluefalcon94 said:
Don't know if you're 141 or 61. But remember that a lot of instructors aren't real high time pilots themselves (at least at the instructing gig) so make sure you get someone really experienced to put you through the ringer with a mock check ride before the actual event. Wish I had. (Ironic how we take people with too little time to make it to a 121 or 135 operation but expect them to do something as critical as teach new pilots how to fly but that's another issue) Try to keep your training in the actual aircraft you will use for the check ride too. I ended up training in two different Arrows with different radio setups and it didn't help simplify things.

By the way. I passed the check ride a few days ago...:D
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Nice work on the checkride Blue. I am in a part61 school. It's the Boeing Employees Flying Association BEFA. Our instructors are not employees they're self employed instructors that are simply club members like the rest of us. My goal is to become one as well. My instructor has been teaching for as long as I've been in the club which is almost 6 years. We do require phase checks with a different instructor.

All good stuff to use from everyone. I'll try and put some of the advice into play early. Thanks folks
Mike
 
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Good luck SNO....practice your clearing turns along with your maneuvers so you don't forget them...easy to miss them when you're concentrating on everything else....make them part of your flow whenever they're required.....practice practice practice the power off 180s in as many different conditions as possible (calm to windy) and if possible pick a low traffic day at you airport(practice and checkride). Power off 180s tend to throw off the flow in the pattern and you can find yourself having to do 360s for spacing......not fun when your trying to set up your own short approach flow with the maneuver.

Also, if for some reason your checkride gets delayed (mechanical and weather are not uncommon) then fly again if its more than 5-7 days. I probably pushed too hard to "git er done" when I got back from Afghanistan and hadn't flown in about 18 months. You tend to forget how rusty you can get on the basics LOL
 
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For those getting ready to do commercial. On every single landing, pick the spot on the runway and hit it on the centerline... Every landing. It is "free" practice if you are up doing something else.
 
You can start a few things now by going through your logbook and identifying the flights that qualify for 14 CFR 61.129(a). Also, download the airplane flying handbook and start reading.

As a commercial pilot, you're expected to know where stuff is in regards to regs, so brush up on part 61/91 what constitutes part 135 versus 91 ops., etc. good luck.

Some will tell you to do your training in the right seat if you plan to go for your CFI, but that's not necessary; just learn to master the airplane. The commercial is a relatively fun and easy ticket to work on. Enjoy it.
 
I just took my commercial ride a few days ago. I had not flown in about 2 weeks and the winds were 6 G16 right down the runway.

Ask me anything you want while it's still fresh. The ride was easier than I anticipated it to be, but that doesn't mean it was easy.

Apparently I flew Lazy 8's the "old way" with a more noticeable increase/decrease in pitch throughout the maneuver. Entry and exit was well within PTS.
 
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