Studying for the check ride (PPL) - Suggested resources/techniques?

jbrinker

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
307
Location
Auburn, NY
Display Name

Display name:
Jbrinker
It's time to really hit the books. Long XC checked off and now just night flight, and lots of maneuvers practice. Hoping to go for the ride end of May/June.

I have all my written test study material (Rod Machado's book, Dauntless prep software, FAA pubs) and have been sort of re-doing that to find my weak spots with hard-knowledge.

I purchased King's ACS checkride videos (John King and a full ACS checkride from start to finish)

I have a current FAR/AIM (paper)

This is when I wish I was in a school - I could "prep/quiz/study" with other students. Doing it solo is not easy.

My plan is:
- Re-study for the written. Find any weak knowledge areas and study them.
- Learn by-heart all the "acronyms" suggested in other videos etc. TOMATOFLAMES, etc. Think about how they apply in a scenario based form.
- Tab out my FAR/AIM with plastic tabs so it's quick to find areas that relate to common checkride items. Make some "cheat sheets" with common stuff (actually my kneeboard has a lot of this on it)
- Find someone to quiz me, or possibly buy another checkride testing product (any suggestions?)

Really looking for any help with strategy here. I'm kinda on my own for this.

Any recent PPL's want to share some of your checkride scenario/questions?

Thanks!
Jeff
 
It's time to really hit the books. Long XC checked off and now just night flight, and lots of maneuvers practice. Hoping to go for the ride end of May/June.

I have all my written test study material (Rod Machado's book, Dauntless prep software, FAA pubs) and have been sort of re-doing that to find my weak spots with hard-knowledge.

I purchased King's ACS checkride videos (John King and a full ACS checkride from start to finish)

I have a current FAR/AIM (paper)

This is when I wish I was in a school - I could "prep/quiz/study" with other students. Doing it solo is not easy.

My plan is:
- Re-study for the written. Find any weak knowledge areas and study them.
- Learn by-heart all the "acronyms" suggested in other videos etc. TOMATOFLAMES, etc. Think about how they apply in a scenario based form.
- Tab out my FAR/AIM with plastic tabs so it's quick to find areas that relate to common checkride items. Make some "cheat sheets" with common stuff (actually my kneeboard has a lot of this on it)
- Find someone to quiz me, or possibly buy another checkride testing product (any suggestions?)

Really looking for any help with strategy here. I'm kinda on my own for this.

Any recent PPL's want to share some of your checkride scenario/questions?

Thanks!
Jeff
All sounds good, with the exception of re-studying for the written. Get the ASA Oral Prep guide.

Then again, my oral exam was nothing like anyone's I've heard or seen on YouTube. There's a YouTube clip where a DPE is just firing off "written-style" questions. Mine was totally situational-based and really stretched me. There wasn't a way to study for that... had to be able to know and apply and figure things out.

They're all different though. Go get 'em!!
 
Last edited:
Your strategy sounds good to me. The oral should be 'practical' so I didn't focus on memorization as much as with the written, as long as you're familiar with a concept and can find the answer if you don't have it memorized. I found this guy's cheat sheet helpful to kind of consolidate and review the multitude of information:

http://michaelsoroka.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/private-pilot-cheat-sheet.pdf
 
See if there are other CFI's nearby to you who are familiar with the DPE you are going to use. Hire them to give you a mock oral and checkride.

In addition to the review sheet that @exncsurfer linked, read through the ACS as it pertains to Private Pilot and make note of any special emphasis areas and topics that you're not strong in. Add these to your list of items to study.

And do expect the oral exam to be more of a scenario based discussion designed to find the edges of your knowledge. Examiner is trying to find out that you not only know the information, but know how to apply it correctly. And if you don't know something, you know where to find it quickly and again, how to interpret the "government-ese" into real world use.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice so far - those are a couple of great checklists. Just the sort of thing I was looking for. I will order that book as well, I was going to order the android app but it apparently doesn't work correctly on some devices so paper is good...

I will be doing at least one mock check ride with my instructor, I would love to schedule one with a different instructor - but I'm not clear if my instructor's (aircraft) insurance will let him do that.
 
Read the ACS. Lots of people get test prep books, oral guides, etc and forget that it's an open book test with no surprises. Everything that you need to know is in the ACS.
 
Many of us in the past purchased the paper copy of the Practical Test Standards (PTS) published by ASA from our local pilot shops.

@jbrinker, you can get your copy of the airman certification standards (the new "PTS") from this page. And they also offer a PDF version: http://www.asa2fly.com/Airman-Certification-Standards-Private-Pilot-Airplane-P3482C24.aspx

But paper is always better to have, providing you the opportunity to highlight and put all sorts of sticky flags with notes and references in the book.

Also, consider getting a copy of the current paper FAR/AIM and sticky flag that with all the pertinent rules that will be covered in the checkride. Makes it much faster to find the rule being quizzed on and demonstrate you know where find it if you're not able to pull it out of your noggin.
 
My .02 cents. Get with an instructor that knows how the examiner functions. NEW FAA rules state that the instructor is not aloud to stay in the room for the oral exam. My instructor knew all the examiners quirks and which questions were a for sure fail and which he would assist with. I studied and studied and my instructor grilled me to the point that when I got with the examiner it was a piece of cake. I was honestly surprised how easy the Oral Exam went and I know I aced it. We all have "brain farts" at times and just plain forget stuff we know absolutely, so forgive yourself for being Human when the time comes and the hot seat is yours. I was not permitted to go into my FAR/AIM or any other literature as others mentioned. I guess each examiner is different.
 
It's time to really hit the books. Long XC checked off and now just night flight, and lots of maneuvers practice. Hoping to go for the ride end of May/June.

I have all my written test study material (Rod Machado's book, Dauntless prep software, FAA pubs) and have been sort of re-doing that to find my weak spots with hard-knowledge.

I purchased King's ACS checkride videos (John King and a full ACS checkride from start to finish)

I have a current FAR/AIM (paper)

This is when I wish I was in a school - I could "prep/quiz/study" with other students. Doing it solo is not easy.

My plan is:
- Re-study for the written. Find any weak knowledge areas and study them.
- Learn by-heart all the "acronyms" suggested in other videos etc. TOMATOFLAMES, etc. Think about how they apply in a scenario based form.
- Tab out my FAR/AIM with plastic tabs so it's quick to find areas that relate to common checkride items. Make some "cheat sheets" with common stuff (actually my kneeboard has a lot of this on it)
- Find someone to quiz me, or possibly buy another checkride testing product (any suggestions?)

Really looking for any help with strategy here. I'm kinda on my own for this.

Any recent PPL's want to share some of your checkride scenario/questions?

Thanks!
Jeff

AFM. Do you know all you V speeds, capacitiesh, emergency procedures, and systems?
 
I was not permitted to go into my FAR/AIM or any other literature as others mentioned. I guess each examiner is different.

Really? I mean, that fact that you are allowed to find information that is not "instant recall required" has been stated literally everyplace I've read about the check ride. "Open book" etc. are terms that are used repeatedly by nearly everyone and every video/training aid/book I've read. I'm looking for the official source on this...
 
All sounds good, with the exception of re-studying for the written. Get the ASA Oral Prep guide.

Then again, my oral exam was nothing like anyone's I've heard or seen on YouTube. There's a YouTube clip where a DPE is just firing off "written-style" questions. Mine was totally situational-based and really stretched me. There wasn't a way to study for that... had to be able to know and apply and figure things out.

They're all different though. Go get 'em!!
Have the various prep,guides been updated for ACS? Another source is the FAA PTS (or whatever the new name is) document on the FAA website.
 
I was not permitted to go into my FAR/AIM or any other literature as others mentioned. I guess each examiner is different.

I'd say that's not just "different", that's significantly outside of the norm, and likely outside of their guidance from FAA.
 
I'd say that's not just "different", that's significantly outside of the norm, and likely outside of their guidance from FAA.
Yeah, if I was failed because of that I'd be on the phone to the FSDO while the guy was sitting there.
 
DPE has to be a serious human d*ck(and doubtful to have much repeat customers from CFIs) to ask things like required night VFR equipment (ATOMATOFLAMESFLAPS and other stupid acronyms no-one needs to know) and not allowing you to check FAR's for it. Just know where to find them.
 
Really? I mean, that fact that you are allowed to find information that is not "instant recall required" has been stated literally everyplace I've read about the check ride. "Open book" etc. are terms that are used repeatedly by nearly everyone and every video/training aid/book I've read. I'm looking for the official source on this...
Yea, and since your CFI is recommending your DPE, I wouldn't expect him to be a psycho.
 
the quality is the same but the price is lower and you receive 2 files of VFR and IFR flight forms, I think this one is the best
 
My Checkride is scheduled for 5/3/17. I was told to study the actual ACS, which I have been doing. My CFI said to have an answer ready for each Knowledge, and Risk management section for each "task" even though he will only talk about 1 per task. Know each "skills" question as the DPE will ask about each question listed for that task. This is in addition to the "oral test prep" book. The ACS is over 100 pages but you can discard the questions unrelated to SEL PPL. Print it out and be able to answer each question. Jot down short answers for the "knowledge" and "risk management" sections...more complete answers for the "skills" section. I hope this works. I'll let you know how I make out.
 
Read the ACS. Lots of people get test prep books, oral guides, etc and forget that it's an open book test with no surprises. Everything that you need to know is in the ACS.
Everything you need to know is LISTED in the ACS. It does not contain the actual information. But it does have references.
 
ASA Practical Test guidelines always worked for me.

Just got the latest ed from Amazon delivered last night along with the 2017 FAR/AIM. Looks like a great resource with all the references for each statement. Have been working my way through one section at a time, looking up and reading each ref.

My Checkride is scheduled for 5/3/17. I was told to study the actual ACS, which I have been doing. My CFI said to have an answer ready for each Knowledge, and Risk management section for each "task" even though he will only talk about 1 per task. Know each "skills" question as the DPE will ask about each question listed for that task. This is in addition to the "oral test prep" book. The ACS is over 100 pages but you can discard the questions unrelated to SEL PPL. Print it out and be able to answer each question. Jot down short answers for the "knowledge" and "risk management" sections...more complete answers for the "skills" section. I hope this works. I'll let you know how I make out.

I also printed out the actual ACS and marked the PPL SEL VFR questions. I will take your advice and prepare as noted above. My instructor has not sent anyone for the ride since ACS (I will be the first) so looking for any feedback I can get. Please do let me/us know how you do, and any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated!
 
Related "Crazy" question. I have been told I can bring pretty much whatever reference material I want to the oral. I plan to bring the current ACS, FAR/AIM, current paper charts, electronic version of AFD (on my EFB which I also plan to bring), electronic E6B. Can I also bring my prep book? Notes/notebook used for prep?

I know - applicant should not be looking up every answer and needs to know the material. However, suppose I have my ACS with my notes written on it, am I allowed to refer to that if I get in a bind on one or two things? Other example, I have an ASA kneeboard I fly with always. It has, engraved on it, a variety of useful info. VFR airspace mins, light signals, VFR altitudes, etc. Can I refer to that if I need to?

Is this all basically up to the examiner? I have looked, and I can find NO official guidance on these topics, but I may not have found the proper reference yet.

To be clear and avoid being flamed: I plan to study a LOT (hence my posting here). However I want to know what I can refer to in the actual oral, since being nervous I may blank out on something I should know.
 
Related "Crazy" question. I have been told I can bring pretty much whatever reference material I want to the oral. I plan to bring the current ACS, FAR/AIM, current paper charts, electronic version of AFD (on my EFB which I also plan to bring), electronic E6B. Can I also bring my prep book? Notes/notebook used for prep?

I know - applicant should not be looking up every answer and needs to know the material. However, suppose I have my ACS with my notes written on it, am I allowed to refer to that if I get in a bind on one or two things? Other example, I have an ASA kneeboard I fly with always. It has, engraved on it, a variety of useful info. VFR airspace mins, light signals, VFR altitudes, etc. Can I refer to that if I need to?

Is this all basically up to the examiner? I have looked, and I can find NO official guidance on these topics, but I may not have found the proper reference yet.

To be clear and avoid being flamed: I plan to study a LOT (hence my posting here). However I want to know what I can refer to in the actual oral, since being nervous I may blank out on something I should know.
In the end, its up to the DPE, but in my opinion its a 'practical' exam, so what would you do in real life, you'd look it up. I suspect you'll find that you won't look at most of the stuff you bring. Don't attempt to reference your prep book as a source for an answer, I think that would be frowned upon. I guess it might be OK, to use it if it helps you find the official source faster, but the DPE is probably going to want to see the official source of whatever you're looking for(in case of FAR/AIM or POH items). I'd say if you bring the prep book, leave it in the bag unless you really need to whip it out. I didn't bring much to mine, I felt light, like I needed to bring more, but I didn't end up needing all of what I brought. I used electronic far/aim, af/d(app), CURRENT paper chart, plotter(didn't use), mechanical E6b(demonstrated some simple Wind calcs related to my XC). I hate to say but after the 3rd reschedule(3 night before check ride worry sessions) I was kind of burned out on the whole deal and had the mentality 'if I don't know enough to pass, at least hopefully I'll have less to do on the next attempt'. Ended up being fine.

Good luck, we're all counting on you.
 
As above, "it depends on the DPE" on how the exam goes. You can bring the prep book, but you might not ever get to use it. Especially if you are properly prepared.

Almost all DPE's have the attitude that they want you to pass. So if you get stuck on a particular question, it's not unheard of them to re-ask it in a different way with a new clue to jog your memory.

It's also up to you to be properly prepared enough to at least recognize what part of the rules/regs/AIM/application-of-the-information the question applies to. So if you do experience "grey matter lockup", you know where in the FAR/AIM to look for help.

Be ready to have a really good aviation conversation with a very experienced pilot who wants you to be safe and learn something. I always remember what my primary DPE says, "Mike, I'm not your instructor, so I am not here to teach you. But allow me to share some really good wisdom about flying."

Finally, this info is always worth repeating...

Captain Ron Levy's Checkride advice

1. Relax and enjoy it. Nationwide, about 90% of applicants pass on the first try, so look around and see if you think you’re as good as 9 out of 10 other students. Also, your instructor must maintain a pass rate of at least 80% to get his ticket renewed, so he’s not going to send you up unless he’s pretty darn sure you’ll pass – otherwise, he has to find four other people to pass to make up for you, and that’s not always easy.

2. Go over with your instructor the logbooks of the aircraft you're going to use the day BEFORE the checkride to make sure it's all in order (annual, transponder checks, ELT ops and battery, 100-hour if rented, etc.). If the airplane's paper busts, so do you. Run a sample W&B, too – get the examiner’s weight when you make the appointment. If you weigh 200, and so does the examiner, don’t show up with a C-152 with full tanks and a 350 lb available cabin load – examiners can’t waive max gross weight limits.

3. Relax.

4. Rest up and get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't stay up "cramming."

5. Relax.

6. Read carefully the ENTIRE PTS including all the introductory material. Use the checklist in the front to make sure you take all the stuff you need -- papers and equipment. And the examiner’s fee UP FRONT (too much chance a disgruntled applicant will refuse to pay afterward) in the form demanded by the examiner is a “required document” from a practical, if not FAA, standpoint.

7. Relax.

8. You’re going to make a big mistake somewhere. The examiner knows this will happen, and it doesn’t have to end the ride. What’s important is not whether you make a mistake, but how you deal with it – whether you recover and move on without letting it destroy your flying. Figure out where you are now, how to get to where you want to be, and then do what it takes to get there. That will save your checkride today and your butt later on.

9. Relax.

10. You're going to make some minor mistakes. Correct them yourself in a timely manner "so the outcome of the maneuver is never seriously in doubt" and you'll be OK. If you start to go high on your first steep turn and start a correction as you approach 100 feet high but top out at 110 high while making a smooth correction back to the requested altitude, don't sweat -- nail the next one and you'll pass with "flying colors" (a naval term, actually). If you see the maneuver will exceed parameters and not be smoothly recoverable, tell the examiner and knock it off before you go outside those parameters, and then re-initiate. That shows great sense, if not great skill, and judgement is the most critical item on the checkride.

11. Relax.

12. During the oral, you don’t have to answer from memory anything you’d have time to look up in reality. You never need to memorize and know everything. Categorize material as:

a. Things you must memorize (i.e. emergency procedures, radio calls, airspace, etc).
b. Things you must know or have reasonable understanding of (i.e. interpreting weather codes, non-critical regs).
c. Things you know about but can look up and will have time to look up on the ground.

(Thanks to Mark Bourdeaux for this categorization.) So if the examiner asks you about currency, it’s OK to open the FAR book to 61.56 and 61.57 and explain them to him. But make sure you know where the answer is without reading the whole FAR/AIM cover-to-cover. On the other hand, for stuff you’d have to know RIGHT NOW (e.g., best glide speed for engine failure, etc.), you’d best not stumble or stutter – know that stuff cold. Also, remember that the examiner will use the areas your knowledge test report says you missed as focus points in the oral, so study them extra thoroughly.

13. Relax.

14. Avoid this conversation:

Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: I have a #2, a mechanical, a red one...
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: I also have an assortment of pens, and some highlighters...
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: Yes.
Examiner - Thank you.​

One of the hardest things to do when you’re nervous and pumped up is to shut up and answer the question. I've watched people talk themselves into a corner by incorrectly answering a question that was never asked, or by adding an incorrect appendix to the correct answer to the question that was. If the examiner wants more, he'll tell you.

15. Relax

16. Some questions are meant simply to test your knowledge, not your skill, even if they sound otherwise. If the examiner asks how far below the cloud deck you are, he is checking to see if you know the answer is “at least 500 feet,” not how good your depth perception is. He can’t tell any better than you can, and the only way to be sure is to climb up and see when you hit the bases, which for sure he won’t let you do.

17. Relax

18. Remember the first rule of Italian driving: "What's behind me is not important." Don't worry about how you did the last maneuver or question. If you didn't do it well enough, the examiner must notify you and terminate the checkride. If you are on the next one, forget the last one because it was good enough to pass. Focus on doing that next maneuver or answering the next question the best you can, because while it can still determine whether you pass or fail, the last one can’t anymore. If you get back to the office and he hasn't said you failed, smile to your friends as you walk in because you just passed.

19. Relax and enjoy your new license.


Ron Levy, ATP, CFI, Veteran of 11 license/rating checkrides, including 4 with FAA inspectors​
 
2. Go over with your instructor the logbooks of the aircraft you're going to use the day BEFORE the checkride to make sure it's all in order (annual, transponder checks, ELT ops and battery, 100-hour if rented, etc.). If the airplane's paper busts, so do you. Run a sample W&B, too – get the examiner’s weight when you make the appointment. If you weigh 200, and so does the examiner, don’t show up with a C-152 with full tanks and a 350 lb available cabin load – examiners can’t waive max gross weight limits.

I have only one quibble with Ron's list. I like to look over the aircraft books THREE days before the ride? Why? I can probably get something fixed in three days by calling a mechanic today.

It'll be stressful but a lot less annoying than having to cancel or discontinue the ride.

Now with that said, I also recommend NOT looking all this stuff up on your own airplane first thing in the morning before coffee.

But I *NEVER* miscalculated the pitot/static date on my own airplane EVER, and DID NOT call my instructor, my co-owner, a mechanic who might be able to fix it in time... and then have to call all three of them back an hour later after the first cup of coffee kicked in... no I NEVER did that! LOL!

On the bright side, it found us a new mobile pitot/static guy because ours retired a number of years ago, who I met today at the airplane and did a VERY thorough job, fixed a static leak, and knew how to get our 43 year old transponder to pass one more time before it's replaced with something for the ADS-B mandate, and who charged a reasonable price and had a very nice mobile setup for printing great reports on the whole process.

About the only thing more I could have asked for was a ride in his Bonanza that he showed up in. Haha.

Oh, and bonus. He's a Garmin dealer and installer. Guess who'll get one of the bids when we're ready to do that? ;-)

Not bad for an hour of panic before coffee a few weeks ago, eh? :)
 
I went through the AIM and tabbed/highlighted the maintenance times, currency requirements, required equipment, etc., and highlighted the parts that apply to me. Doing that helps me remember pretty well, so I didn't need to actually look anything up.
 
I went through the AIM and tabbed/highlighted the maintenance times, currency requirements, required equipment, etc., and highlighted the parts that apply to me. Doing that helps me remember pretty well, so I didn't need to actually look anything up.

Yeah, that's what I was doing when I panicked myself. LOL!

Those little post-it flags stuffed in the aircraft logs and your own logbook work real well along with a summary sheet typed up for the hours on things in the airplane. Saves you and the examiner time. Making them dig for themselves is usually not considered good form. ;-)

"Go fish!" is not what they want to hear when they ask for your last Flight Review, etc. haha.
 
Just got the latest ed from Amazon delivered last night along with the 2017 FAR/AIM. Looks like a great resource with all the references for each statement. Have been working my way through one section at a time, looking up and reading each ref.



I also printed out the actual ACS and marked the PPL SEL VFR questions. I will take your advice and prepare as noted above. My instructor has not sent anyone for the ride since ACS (I will be the first) so looking for any feedback I can get. Please do let me/us know how you do, and any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated!

jbrinker...After a few weather delays I finally took, and passed my checkride today. I can't believe I'm a pilot. Worked for 2 years for this moment...great feeling. The ACS, and Oral Test Guide were definitely the way to go. Just keep reviewing them both. My oral lasted about 20 minutes. The DPE sat down, started firing question at me, and I fired answers back. He wasn't trying to be an ass...he was feeling me out. After about 30 or 40 questions and answers he look up at me and said "Ok, sounds like you know this ****...lets go fly." All the question were right from the ACS...ALL OF THEM. Know your XC plan, and all the airspace requirements. I could almost remember the ACS page number when he asked the questions. Definitely all questions were based on scenarios, all related to safety, and procedures. "What would you do if your radio failed". "You just departed KISP, your engine starts running rough, KISP just closed, what are you going to do". (Divert) Stuff like that.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do fine. Let me know.
 
Congrats Pilot! Excellent work! I'm still studying regularly. I'm using the method of reading the ACS and then finding an answer/resources for each and every question/item. I'm sure I won't remember them all, but being very familiar with them and spending the time to look the stuff up has got to help. I quiz myself whenever I'm bored (drive to work, etc). I even manage to stump myself sometimes... :)

One other thing I still need to do is make a sheet of all the stuff specific to MY plane. Speeds, weights, specific procedures, etc. and memorize it. I know a lot of it but want to get all that in one place and memorized.

How did the flight go (good obviously, but any details to share?). I spent a day last week doing all the basic maneuvers and having my CFI critique me. I still need more night flight to meet the requirements, but otherwise I'm technically done with the minimums (and way over on many).

CFI wants me to do more night flight, one lesson into real IMC, and another XC landing at the airport where I will go for the ride, and several nearby (diversions). Still hoping to get this done by end of June. This spring has been a lot of horrible flying weather here. If I get it (checkride) done in June I will be just a hair over 2 years, and probably about 70 hrs.
 
Congrats Pilot! Excellent work! I'm still studying regularly. I'm using the method of reading the ACS and then finding an answer/resources for each and every question/item. I'm sure I won't remember them all, but being very familiar with them and spending the time to look the stuff up has got to help. I quiz myself whenever I'm bored (drive to work, etc). I even manage to stump myself sometimes... :)

One other thing I still need to do is make a sheet of all the stuff specific to MY plane. Speeds, weights, specific procedures, etc. and memorize it. I know a lot of it but want to get all that in one place and memorized.

How did the flight go (good obviously, but any details to share?). I spent a day last week doing all the basic maneuvers and having my CFI critique me. I still need more night flight to meet the requirements, but otherwise I'm technically done with the minimums (and way over on many).

CFI wants me to do more night flight, one lesson into real IMC, and another XC landing at the airport where I will go for the ride, and several nearby (diversions). Still hoping to get this done by end of June. This spring has been a lot of horrible flying weather here. If I get it (checkride) done in June I will be just a hair over 2 years, and probably about 70 hrs.
While its fresh in my mind...the flying portion was as follows:
Short field departure out of class C. Fly RH to 2k as instructed by Clearance. (I did all radio work)
Tower turns me over to departure who turns me on course to the practice area
VOR tracking to my first checkpoint (CCC)
On the way out he gave me that scenario about KISP closing
Get to the practice area, start with steep turns (After clearing turns)
Slow flight dirty (50kts) He made sure to tell me he didn't want to hear the stall horn. (Lots of turns)
Slow flight into a approach stall. Again no stall horn, just buffeting, recover.
Settle the plane down, right into a departure stall, no horn again.
Foggles were next, maintain heading. Climb, and decend
Unusual attitude was next with the foggles on.
We were at 3000ft when he gave me an engine fire, to engine out. (Didn't want me to exceed 115kts so I had to slip)
Set-up emergence landing on the beach @ 1500ft.
Go around at 1000ft.
Climb to 2000ft, get ATIS and clearance to do T&G back at KISP.
Over to Tower, for a soft field landing to soft field T/O.
Next was a short field landing, regular T/O.
Regular landing was my final maneuver.
Took about 1.4 tack time.
 
Slow flight dirty (50kts) He made sure to tell me he didn't want to hear the stall horn. (Lots of turns)
Slow flight into a approach stall. Again no stall horn, just buffeting, recover.
Settle the plane down, right into a departure stall, no horn again.

I'm not going into my rant about ACS slow flight standards here. Just suffice it to say if the horn never came on, you know none of those were really stalls, right? :)

Please for the love of Pete (whoever Pete is) and your family and passengers, please plan to grab a CFI once in a while if uncomfortable with them, or by yourself, go up and practice real stalls and recoveries once in a while.

You'll thank me for that comment someday when a real approach or departure stall sneaks up on you. They do happen. And the horn will come on.

... Sigh ...
 
I'm not going into my rant about ACS slow flight standards here. Just suffice it to say if the horn never came on, you know none of those were really stalls, right? :)

Please for the love of Pete (whoever Pete is) and your family and passengers, please plan to grab a CFI once in a while if uncomfortable with them, or by yourself, go up and practice real stalls and recoveries once in a while.

You'll thank me for that comment someday when a real approach or departure stall sneaks up on you. They do happen. And the horn will come on.

... Sigh ...
I completely understand. I am used to doing full stalls with my CFI. This "no stall horn" thing is new to me.
 
Slow flight into a approach stall. Again no stall horn, just buffeting, recover.
Settle the plane down, right into a departure stall, no horn again.

Was your stall warning horn inoperative? The ACS specifies that you "[r]ecognize and recover promptly after a full stall has occurred."
 
Back
Top