Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
I'm up against my PPL checkride in the next few weeks. I'd like to hear about others experiences. What happened to you? Thanks!
Tell Us Your Check Ride Story!
- Thread starter Tim Cobb
- Start date
gkainz
Final Approach
Who are you using for an examiner?
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
His name is "Jerry" he's older, handlebar mustache. I met him once at the FBO where I train.
SkyHog
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 18,431
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
- Display Name
Display name:
Everything Offends Me
The biggest part of my story was that I rushed my checkride because I had no choice. I got my sign-off, and the only time the DPE was available was the next day. Luckily, some PoAers saved my ass by posting some needed scanned pages of the POH for the plane I was checkriding in so I could do my planning.
Good stuff. Very windy, nasty day.
Good stuff. Very windy, nasty day.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
Captain 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. It’s a test of your flying skill, not your knowledge of PTS minutiae. Make sure you know which maneuver the examiner wants done, and confirm the details if necessary – before you start the maneuver. Does s/he want stalls taken all the way to the break or just to the buffet or “first sign of impending stall”? Is that “spot landing” s/he asked for the “power-off 180-degree accuracy approach and landing” no more than 200 feet beyond the spot or the “short-field approach and landing” which allows use of power but no more than 100 feet beyond the spot?
19. Relax
20. 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.
21. Relax and enjoy your new license.
Ron Levy, ATP, CFI, Veteran of 11 license/rating checkrides, including 4 with FAA inspectors
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. It’s a test of your flying skill, not your knowledge of PTS minutiae. Make sure you know which maneuver the examiner wants done, and confirm the details if necessary – before you start the maneuver. Does s/he want stalls taken all the way to the break or just to the buffet or “first sign of impending stall”? Is that “spot landing” s/he asked for the “power-off 180-degree accuracy approach and landing” no more than 200 feet beyond the spot or the “short-field approach and landing” which allows use of power but no more than 100 feet beyond the spot?
19. Relax
20. 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.
21. Relax and enjoy your new license.
Ron Levy, ATP, CFI, Veteran of 11 license/rating checkrides, including 4 with FAA inspectors
gkainz
Final Approach
Cap'n Ron's advice above - timely and timeless. 
RMCN172RG
Pattern Altitude
I was one of the 10% that failed the first time.
Things were going great we were configured for slow flight and moved into the power off stall. The stall went fine put during the power off recovery your truly left the flaps down.
DPE says ok now lets do a power on stall. So as I start to configure I immediately recognize something is wrong. Takes me a minute to find it but I do and I bring the flaps up and we continue on.
During the review he informs me that he cannot pass me because of the stall recovery not being completed correctly and subsequently going to full power with full flaps and trying to exceed the POH's full flap speed.
However, he knew I was aware I had the problem with the airplanes performance and I identified and resolved it which is a good sign.
Two days later I took the CFI back with me for the additional training, then took the DPE up ran through the stall series and flew home as a private pilot with my CFI as a passenger.
As Ron said "Relax". Enjoy the experience with someone else and learn. Every DPE or checkride CFI I've had was out to teach me something as well.
Things were going great we were configured for slow flight and moved into the power off stall. The stall went fine put during the power off recovery your truly left the flaps down.
DPE says ok now lets do a power on stall. So as I start to configure I immediately recognize something is wrong. Takes me a minute to find it but I do and I bring the flaps up and we continue on.
During the review he informs me that he cannot pass me because of the stall recovery not being completed correctly and subsequently going to full power with full flaps and trying to exceed the POH's full flap speed.
However, he knew I was aware I had the problem with the airplanes performance and I identified and resolved it which is a good sign.
Two days later I took the CFI back with me for the additional training, then took the DPE up ran through the stall series and flew home as a private pilot with my CFI as a passenger.
As Ron said "Relax". Enjoy the experience with someone else and learn. Every DPE or checkride CFI I've had was out to teach me something as well.
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2008
- Messages
- 15,651
- Location
- DXO124009
- Display Name
Display name:
Light and Sporty Guy
NOW you tell me. 40 years too late...
The examiner asked me to do a "delayed recovery" stall. Ok, I didn't want to look dumb by asking what that was so apparently I decided to prove that I was dumb...
I ease it back until the old Cessna 120 stalls, then I sit there, yoke full back, dancing on the rudder pedals to keep the wings level, wondering how long I was supposed to do this.
We are going down, and down, and down. Finally the examiner turns and says "You only had to hold it until the nose dropped through the horizon."
Somehow I passed.
SkyHog
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 18,431
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
- Display Name
Display name:
Everything Offends Me
Your DPE didn't discontinue the ride as soon as he determined that was a failed attempt at a maneuver? That's messed up. Happy ending, but that's disappointing to finish a checkride and find out during the debrief that you failed.
Skip Miller
Final Approach
I did not know Ron Levy's point #20 on his checkride advice when I took my checkride.
I swear the DPE spun my heading indicator. It was about 40 degrees off. We took off on our x-c, and I nailed the course using pilotage.
The DPE kept asking me about the winds aloft, steering me to look at the HI. Finally I caught it... Red face, I was sure I had busted. So we finished the checkride and because of my having failed already (at least in my mind) I was totally relaxed for the duration.
Imagine my surprise when he congratulated me on landing!
-Skip
I swear the DPE spun my heading indicator. It was about 40 degrees off. We took off on our x-c, and I nailed the course using pilotage.
The DPE kept asking me about the winds aloft, steering me to look at the HI. Finally I caught it... Red face, I was sure I had busted. So we finished the checkride and because of my having failed already (at least in my mind) I was totally relaxed for the duration.
Imagine my surprise when he congratulated me on landing!
-Skip
RMCN172RG
Pattern Altitude
At that point we just had a couple of landings to go so I guess he allowed us to finish those so that there would only be one item for the quick retest.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
While I've heard of examiners doing this, it's not "by the book."
The examiner is required to notify the applicant when a task is unsatisfactory. After that, the test may be continued only with the agreement of both the examiner and the applicant. I suspect it's written this way so the applicant can't accuse the examiner of letting performance in a later area influence the grading of a prior area.FAA Order 8900.2 said:
Last edited:
RotorAndWing
Final Approach
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 8,496
- Location
- Other side of the world
- Display Name
Display name:
Rotor&Wing
"The book" (8900.2) leaves this up to the examiner on how he will accomplish this.
The Order does not specify at what point of the check ride that the examiner must notify the applicant that a task was unsatisfactory.
It is generally accepted to notify an applicant of a unsatisfactory after the task but not addressed in the guidance.
Last edited:
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
That guidance you highlighted in red refers to discontinuing the ride after a task has been failed, not when notification of unsatisfactory performance is given. It does not appear to offer the option of hiding the failure until later in the ride.
RotorAndWing
Final Approach
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 8,496
- Location
- Other side of the world
- Display Name
Display name:
Rotor&Wing
No one is "hiding" the failure, you're interjecting words.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
If the examiner doesn't tell you that you've failed when you've failed, what word would you suggest? The applicant can't "elect" to continue after failing if not informed of the failure.
HPNFlyGirl
En-Route
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2005
- Messages
- 2,722
- Location
- I live in a house.
- Display Name
Display name:
iBrookieMonster
gkainz
Final Approach
Tim - I think I have the King CD Private Pilot Checkride laying around somewhere - you're welcome to it if you want. It doesn't really "teach" you anything you don't already know, once you're signed off by your CFI he's saying you're ready. It does however remove the -"fear of the unknown" for your first check ride.
Edit: on second thought, it's probably VHS tape ... ???
Edit: on second thought, it's probably VHS tape ... ???
Last edited:
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
Howdy Greg!
Actually I have that John King set in VHS. I got it on E-Bay. Thats very nice of you to offer, thanks. Actually I have most of the John King vidios and they have been a big help. I recommend them to anybody.
Danos
Line Up and Wait
Just relax. Youre ready. If you weren't the instructor wouldn't have signed you off. It's much easier said than done as I was a nervous wreck, but afterwards i realized that it wasn't that bad. If you have problems relaxing just remember, you have the dominant facial hair.
chucky
Line Up and Wait
My first attempt at a checkride, I arrived at the airport with ceilings around 1000, and fairly low visibility. The first thing I said to the DPE was that we wouldn't be flying that day. He said, well, we've got a few hours for the oral, it might clear up. No, I said, it won't, and rattled off why I was certain it wouldn't improve enough. The DPE turned to my CFI and said, you trained him well.
I passed the oral, though not perfectly (I screwed up a question about the difference between pressure and density altitude, which is something I understand pretty well, and made a few other mistakes), and then came back in about a month's time (I was busy in between) to do the flight portion. The flight portion went well for the most part, although I ended it with a landing I was really not pleased with. The DPE I got is the sort who is completely incapable of hanging up his instructor hat, so I learned a number of things from him on the flight, which was great.
Then a week later, I went flying with him in his plane for the FBO's monthly breakfast flight. More learning! :smile:
I passed the oral, though not perfectly (I screwed up a question about the difference between pressure and density altitude, which is something I understand pretty well, and made a few other mistakes), and then came back in about a month's time (I was busy in between) to do the flight portion. The flight portion went well for the most part, although I ended it with a landing I was really not pleased with. The DPE I got is the sort who is completely incapable of hanging up his instructor hat, so I learned a number of things from him on the flight, which was great.
Then a week later, I went flying with him in his plane for the FBO's monthly breakfast flight. More learning! :smile:
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
That's a good story. I'm not worried about the checkride. I've studied hard and practiced all the manuvers.
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
Ya I'll have to include my goatee in the weight and balance numbers. lol
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
AFS-640 says otherwise. Their position (stated in a phne call today) is that the Order requires that the applicant be notified immediately after performance of a task is deemed unsatisfactory. The only exception is when the examiner fears for his/her safety if such notification is given, in which case the notification may be delayed until they get to where the examiner feels safe enough to give the applicant the bad news.
RotorAndWing
Final Approach
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 8,496
- Location
- Other side of the world
- Display Name
Display name:
Rotor&Wing
Ron, you can make all the phone calls you wish, but unless they are willing to put it in writing on an official letter head and sign it then it's simply one man's opinion and carries no weight whatsoever.
Arbiter419
Cleared for Takeoff
So yeah...checkride stories.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
Well, that's the input from the Examiner Standardization folks, so you can take it and be confident that you won't have to worry about consequences, or go against it and take the chance that you'll get hosed if the applicant complains. Caveat inspector.
RotorAndWing
Final Approach
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 8,496
- Location
- Other side of the world
- Display Name
Display name:
Rotor&Wing
LOL!
As you are well aware the FAA does not issue verbal policy. You can claim all the phone calls and personal communications you wish, but unless it's in an Order, Notice or Memo on the letterhead and signed it's simply an opinion with no weight.
So get it in writing if you want anyone to take you seriously.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
The answer is in writing in the Orders under discussion. The issue here is that your personal interpretation of the written Order differs from that of the office charged with standardizing its implementation. On that, I can't help you.
RotorAndWing
Final Approach
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 8,496
- Location
- Other side of the world
- Display Name
Display name:
Rotor&Wing
Get them to put it on a letterhead and sign it. Otherwise your stories of phone calls and personal communications are fantasy.
Since you are not an employee of the FAA nor do you represent the Agency, basically your opinion is meaningless when it comes to policy.
Last edited:
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
I'm not your mother or your boss. You are entirely free to deviate from what AFS-640 has told me 8900.2 means. But if an Inspector deviates from that with one of my trainees, and it negatively impacts on my trainee, I'll provide that Inspector the opportunity to justify his/her interpretation to HQ Flight Standards. If you can live with that, so be it.
silver-eagle
En-Route
The events leading up to the checkride contributed highly. I'd been a practicing student for years having started in 1991 and being presented for the checkride in 2003. I also went through about 8 different planes (C152, C172, PA28-161, PA28-180). There were also 7 "official" instructors and several unofficial ones. I think they all believed someone with MY number of hours has already "done that".
Imagine my CFIs surprise on his day before checkout that I'd NEVER done a power on climbing stall. Imagine MY surprise when he asked and my answer was WTF!!!!
Day of the checkride, scheduled for 8:00 AM, I showed up at 7 AM and checked out the plane. Usual inside and outside checklist. Started the engine, ran it for a few minutes to make sure it was ready to go. Funny thing, it was parked in a different area than usual.
So, the DPE showed up on time. Got his required pament and validated all the paperwork. We spent about 1 1/2 hours doing the oral exam, easy, friendly, and informative. Then, it was up to the practical.
I informed him that I had already run through the checklist. I walked him out to the plane and started through the checklist. He told me he always found it handy to examine the underside of the wing for rough spots (which pointed out I had not untied it). We climbed aboard and started up. After a ramp check, it was out to the runway we went. Making the appropriate call for "departing runway 24, I pushed it to full power and noticed zero on the airspeed. Announcing I was aborting the takeoff (my first ever in 13 years), I closed the throttle and hit the first turn off. He mumbled something about ice in the pitot, he'd clear it, out and in and we're ready to go.
The rest of the test was fairly uneventful. It was many things I'd been doing for years; practicing with my CFI or by myself. Overall, unexciting. The DPE was informative, had a very interesting background, and one of my best passengers.
A wonderful experience.
Imagine my CFIs surprise on his day before checkout that I'd NEVER done a power on climbing stall. Imagine MY surprise when he asked and my answer was WTF!!!!
Day of the checkride, scheduled for 8:00 AM, I showed up at 7 AM and checked out the plane. Usual inside and outside checklist. Started the engine, ran it for a few minutes to make sure it was ready to go. Funny thing, it was parked in a different area than usual.
So, the DPE showed up on time. Got his required pament and validated all the paperwork. We spent about 1 1/2 hours doing the oral exam, easy, friendly, and informative. Then, it was up to the practical.
I informed him that I had already run through the checklist. I walked him out to the plane and started through the checklist. He told me he always found it handy to examine the underside of the wing for rough spots (which pointed out I had not untied it). We climbed aboard and started up. After a ramp check, it was out to the runway we went. Making the appropriate call for "departing runway 24, I pushed it to full power and noticed zero on the airspeed. Announcing I was aborting the takeoff (my first ever in 13 years), I closed the throttle and hit the first turn off. He mumbled something about ice in the pitot, he'd clear it, out and in and we're ready to go.
The rest of the test was fairly uneventful. It was many things I'd been doing for years; practicing with my CFI or by myself. Overall, unexciting. The DPE was informative, had a very interesting background, and one of my best passengers.
A wonderful experience.
steamee
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2009
- Messages
- 102
- Display Name
Display name:
Steamee
Here's my checkride story. Good luck!
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
Howdy! Well I had my checkride and I passed with flying colors. I started about 9:00AM I had filed a flight plan from Front Range Airport to Lamar, Colorado. All my documents were ready and I had all the documents for my aircraft available. Jerry gave me a good oral examination but asked questions that made me think, not just recite a bunch of facts and figures. Anything I didn't know in the FAR's he let me look up.
The flight started at 11:00AM, clear skies, calm winds but about 90 degrees at 5,500 ft. We took off and headed for LaMar. I dialed in the VOR and opened my flight plan. As soon as I was lined up with LaMar he had me divert to another airport and close my flight plan. We then went to the practice area. I started with turns around a point. I did my clearing turns. I then went right in the next manouver. Did my stalls to completion. Did an emergency decent. Did steep turns. Did "S" turns.
Finally the examiner grabbed the map out of my hand and said my engine was rough and to find "this" airport. He pointed to a dot on the map. Off I went as I was sure I knew the exact area that the airport was. Only thing was when I got there, NO AIRPORT! I fretted for a minute then finally said, "This is where it is supposed to be but I don't see it." The examiner chuckkled "ya they plowed it under about three years ago and its a corn field now." "I just wanted to see if you would panic."
After that it was back to Front Range to do the various landings. I had to perform a forward slip to a short field landing. I did fine with it but crossed the threshold a little fast and floated a little longer than I planned.
It was a fun flight and I learned alot!.
The flight started at 11:00AM, clear skies, calm winds but about 90 degrees at 5,500 ft. We took off and headed for LaMar. I dialed in the VOR and opened my flight plan. As soon as I was lined up with LaMar he had me divert to another airport and close my flight plan. We then went to the practice area. I started with turns around a point. I did my clearing turns. I then went right in the next manouver. Did my stalls to completion. Did an emergency decent. Did steep turns. Did "S" turns.
Finally the examiner grabbed the map out of my hand and said my engine was rough and to find "this" airport. He pointed to a dot on the map. Off I went as I was sure I knew the exact area that the airport was. Only thing was when I got there, NO AIRPORT! I fretted for a minute then finally said, "This is where it is supposed to be but I don't see it." The examiner chuckkled "ya they plowed it under about three years ago and its a corn field now." "I just wanted to see if you would panic."
After that it was back to Front Range to do the various landings. I had to perform a forward slip to a short field landing. I did fine with it but crossed the threshold a little fast and floated a little longer than I planned.
It was a fun flight and I learned alot!.
Matthew
Touchdown! Greaser!
Good deal! Sounds like a great ride!
The oral portion of mine went more like a conversation than a test. We had all day, since the clgs were too low to fly. Got the flight portion in first thing the next morning. I also learned a lot from my examiner, it was a fun (but nervous) time.
The next day I got a kidney stone and was grounded for quite a while until I could get everything back in order.
The oral portion of mine went more like a conversation than a test. We had all day, since the clgs were too low to fly. Got the flight portion in first thing the next morning. I also learned a lot from my examiner, it was a fun (but nervous) time.
The next day I got a kidney stone and was grounded for quite a while until I could get everything back in order.
Tim Cobb
Pre-Flight
What it took for my PPL:
Total Flying Hours 67.4 (Including the Check Ride)
Start: 2/13/2010
Completed: 7/23/2010
Total Cost: $8,841.00 (Includes books, Com Radio, headsets, E6B, Flashlight, Ground School and Fuel)
I could have done it quicker, but I had a full work schedule and was out of the country for several weeks. Also, Colorado weather in the Spring can be tricky.
Total Flying Hours 67.4 (Including the Check Ride)
Start: 2/13/2010
Completed: 7/23/2010
Total Cost: $8,841.00 (Includes books, Com Radio, headsets, E6B, Flashlight, Ground School and Fuel)
I could have done it quicker, but I had a full work schedule and was out of the country for several weeks. Also, Colorado weather in the Spring can be tricky.
Last edited:
silver-eagle
En-Route
Congratulations Captain Tim.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
You're off by a factor of 10. It's about 1:500 or around 0.2%