Hi and sorry again for the absence.
Time since the last post has been spent hitting the books... big time. Had to take the three remaining knowledge tests (Commercial - 90%, Flight Instructor Airplane - 86%, Fundamentals Of Instructing - 94%), grinding through an exhausting CFI pre-test and getting ready for the Commercial Multi-Engine checkride, which finally occurred last Thursday. Despite having a bit of a brain fart on the pilotage (visual navigation) part of the ride, the maneuvers, which included steep turns at a 50-degree bank, stalls, Vmc demo, and short-field landing, went pretty well overall and I passed.
Now then...
Tomorrow begins CFI School... the phase where I've seen several of my cohorts break down. Two weeks of intense ground school, peppered with a handful of flights to prep for the three CFI checkrides. When it's all done, I'll have my Commercial Single-Engine to get past, then I'm done.
I was pretty sure that I'd be done in plenty of time for Christmas. My friends here aren't so sure. Regardless, I hear the local Flight Service District Office, which handles part of the checkride process, is closed from Dec. 20th through the end of the year, so I'll have some time to spend at home with the fam and friends before coming back here to finish.
Off to dreamland. Should be reporting a little more often down the home stretch.
Cheers
Showing posts with label Checkride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Checkride. Show all posts
11/23/08
10/17/08
Friday, October 17th (instrument checkride)
Instrument checkride passed.
Upon rising at 0530, I check the weather and see the break I've been waiting for... DFW reporting a scattered layer at 3,000. Finally good enough to fly.
I meet checkride examiner K.B. at the airport and preflight N756A, a 2000 model Seminole. The plan is to simulate a flight plan to Houston, then divert after takeoff to Dallas Executive Airport to shoot an ILS approach (single engine), go missed, fly a DME arc, then to Grand Prairie Airport for a GPS approach, go missed again, hold at the published missed procedure, then back to Arlington for a VOR-DME approach and land... all while under the Foggles ("under the hood", as they say).
Shortly after takeoff, I climb to 2,500 feet and go under the hood. K.B. asks me some questions about our plan to Houston, which I answer, and he asks me to take him to Dallas Executive. Along the way, he asks me to descend to 2,000 feet because we're in a thin cloud layer. I do so, and start to consider how this descent will affect my approach. After some quick internal debate, I decide that it can't be done, since the approach needs to be started at 2,300 feet and we need to stay 500 feet below the clouds to remain in VFR. He agrees, and asks me to take him to Grand Prairie instead. The nerves I was experiencing disappear, stoked that I made a good decision at a critical time. Feeling kinda pilot-y all of a sudden!
On the way to Grand Prairie, K.B. takes the controls and asks me to put my head down for an unusual attitude recovery. I can feel the plane dip and weave for about 30 seconds, then when he tells me to recover I look at my instrument panel to find us banked sharply to the left and my airspeed increasing rapidly... we're diving. I cut the throttles, go wings-level, and recover.
We've been grounded for 3 days, which means that everyone else in the area has been grounded for 3 days. The appearance of blue sky after a few days of weather is like ringing the aviation dinner bell. I'd never seen this much traffic in the area before. The Seminole is equipped with TIS (Traffic Information System), which will alert us of traffic within 2 miles of our location and provide heading and altitude of that traffic. Through this 90-minute flight, we got "pinged" about 10 times, each time having to go visual (removing the Foggles) to find the aircraft in our area and make sure we don't collide. It threw a wrench into some of my flows, but I maintained well and K.B. seemed very understanding.
Shot the approach at Grand Prairie with a partial panel... a piece of paper blocking my view of the attitude and heading indicators, so my primary instrument becomes the Garmin 430. Went missed and flew the hold (flying in an oval pattern at a specified place and altitude) over Joe Pool Lake as published, then left the hold for the ILS approach into Arlington's runway 34. I kept waiting for K.B. to cut my throttle, and I could see his hand twitching a bit as if he meant to do it, but I think the heavy area traffic kept him from doing it. I go missed shortly before landing, fly south again for a while, then re-position for the VOR-DME approach into Arlington. Nailed it.
K.B. is silent as I taxi back to the main ramp, where I park, complete my shutdown/termination checklists, and finally...
"Congratulations, you passed this examination."
Flight partner Daniel and instructor Aaron meet me at the ramp. I hand the plane over to Dan and 90 minutes later, he also has his instrument rating.
As an instrument-rated pilot, I can now fly outside of Visual Flight Rules. In other words, I can bust clouds!
With instrument rating in tow, tomorrow I start "302", which is ATP code for right-seat flight training and crew resource management. Since I'll be flying with another student instead of an instructor for the next 75 flight hours, this training will help us manage our shared duties and identify individual responsibilities while flying as a team. Time to start acting like a pilot!
10/14/08
Tuesday, October 14th
Passed the oral portion of the instrument checkride, but there's an overcast layer at only 500 feet so the flight is postponed until tomorrow. The instrument checkride must be flown in VFR conditions, so I'm a slave to Mother Nature for now. More of the same weather is forecast for tomorrow.
UPDATE -- Grounded again Wednesday. Now it's thunderstorms which may continue through tomorrow.
UPDATE UPDATE -- Grounded again Thursday. Waited around from 6:30am to about 1:30pm for the cloud layers to disappear but no joy. Forecast is clear tomorrow, so we should be in business. Hope I still remember how to fly...
UPDATE -- Grounded again Wednesday. Now it's thunderstorms which may continue through tomorrow.
UPDATE UPDATE -- Grounded again Thursday. Waited around from 6:30am to about 1:30pm for the cloud layers to disappear but no joy. Forecast is clear tomorrow, so we should be in business. Hope I still remember how to fly...
10/9/08
Thursday, October 9th
87% on the instrument written exam.
I was hoping to get into the 90's, but considering that it's one of the tougher written tests in this process, I'll plead temporary satisfaction.
Flew to Stephenville for the second time on Wednesday for a quick flight and a quick bite. Met up with two instructor-student teams (Walt/David & Aaron/Jose) from the private program. Lunch damage at the Hard Eight was $16 for three pork back ribs, a jalapeno sausage and 'nana puddin'. Ouch, but damn...
Lots of sim work and book-learnin' again. My instrument checkride has officially been scheduled for Tuesday, and I've got some work to do. Daniel, Jeremy and I spent yesterday afternoon poolside at the apartment going over elements of the oral portion of the checkride and I was surprised at how ready I am for it... I think. We're spending sim time practicing the checkride 'profile', trying to get the feel for the fast-paced requests of the examiner, who will be cramming a lot of orders into a 1-hour flight. Lots of people bust this one by getting disoriented or behind in their duties, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. Gotta stay focused.
By this time next week I should be starting my cross-country flights!
--
I must share these videos. I got them from a post on jetcareers.com and still giggle about them in my spare time.
For the life of me, I can't tell if these are pilots with amazing comedic skills or comedians with amazing pilot skills.
I was hoping to get into the 90's, but considering that it's one of the tougher written tests in this process, I'll plead temporary satisfaction.
Flew to Stephenville for the second time on Wednesday for a quick flight and a quick bite. Met up with two instructor-student teams (Walt/David & Aaron/Jose) from the private program. Lunch damage at the Hard Eight was $16 for three pork back ribs, a jalapeno sausage and 'nana puddin'. Ouch, but damn...
Lots of sim work and book-learnin' again. My instrument checkride has officially been scheduled for Tuesday, and I've got some work to do. Daniel, Jeremy and I spent yesterday afternoon poolside at the apartment going over elements of the oral portion of the checkride and I was surprised at how ready I am for it... I think. We're spending sim time practicing the checkride 'profile', trying to get the feel for the fast-paced requests of the examiner, who will be cramming a lot of orders into a 1-hour flight. Lots of people bust this one by getting disoriented or behind in their duties, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. Gotta stay focused.
By this time next week I should be starting my cross-country flights!
--
I must share these videos. I got them from a post on jetcareers.com and still giggle about them in my spare time.
For the life of me, I can't tell if these are pilots with amazing comedic skills or comedians with amazing pilot skills.
8/9/08
August 08, 2008 (private pilot checkride)
The final prep flight on Thursday didn't go well, as I was staying a step behind the procedures, seemingly always preoccupied with one thing or another, rather than looking ahead to the next item on my checklist or getting set for the next arrival. My landings also took a step backward, all of which concerned me since, as Ben reminded me ad-nauseum, my final exam was tomorrow. I spent the evening preparing the necessary navigation log for a flight from Arlington to Hillsboro to Lubbock, and getting quizzed for the oral exam by my roommate Joe, who went through this only a month ago and was a huge help. I still didn't sleep well that night.
0545 - I report to school to check on the weather and complete the endless array of paperwork needed to complete the upcoming tasks. At 0630 I'm greeted by K.B., a friendly 60-ish man who's one of ATP's two designated checkride examiners. Behind a closed office door, we sit down and he tells me what to expect about today's events. After the oral exam, we'll take a flight where I will be, in effect, carrying my first passenger and he'll expect a nice ride.
"Tell me about your aircraft."
"Tell me about the engine in your aircraft."
"Describe the electrical system in your aircraft."
"What are the required inspections needed for your aircraft and how often do they need it?"
"Tell me the V-speeds for this aircraft."
"Define density altitude."
"What's advection fog?"
"What's hypoxia? How can you tell if someone has it and what do you do about it?"
"Carbon monoxide poisoning... same questions."
"Describe wind shear."
"What's P-factor?"
"Define adverse yaw."
"Show me on the map where a Mode C transponder is required."
"What's the minimum visibility requirements for VFR flight in class G airspace at night?"
And on... for two hours.
When I was twelve, I competed in the San Diego County Spelling Bee. I couldn't tell you what words I spelled correctly, but I'll never forget the word I tanked*. Similarly, I'll always remember the one question that I completely missed on this day.
"Is participation in separation services mandatory in a Terminal Radar Service Area?"
Turns out that it's not. I still passed.
I drew a lucky card in getting 441CA, the bird that got me through my first set of good landings and my first solo. A call to weather services confirmed what I was a little worried about... the nearby front had shifted the winds and instead of taking off from the usual runway 1-6, I had to depart from 3-4, which I hadn't done before. No big deal, really... but I'm starting to wonder if there were any more curveballs coming my way.
Good takeoff and smooth air heading south toward Hillsboro. About halfway there, K.B. asks me to divert to Lancaster. Christ... Pennsylvania? California? I hadn't even heard of the Texas one. I whipped out my sectional chart and found it... just beyond good ol' Mid-Way Airport, where I'd been a hundred times, and was within sight at my 8-o'clock. I turned and headed that way, which put us on a perfect course for Lancaster. After I convinced him that I knew what I was doing navigationally, he had me demonstrate some maneuvers. Steep turns, check. Slow flight, check. Power-on stall, check. Power-off stall, check. Emergency landing, check.
"Never mind Lancaster. Take me to Mid-Way and show me some landings."
Along the way, K.B. hands me a things-that-can-go-wrong list. "What would you do if you experienced each of these?"
Short-field and soft-field takeoffs and landings at Mid-Way (also on the runway opposite the one I'm used to) go well. Keep in mind... a pilot on a checkride is waiting to hear the words "take me back to our airport". The earlier it's said, the worse the news. It's about this time that I hear it from K.B., and I'm only mostly sure that it's good news. A well-executed short-field landing and a taxi back to our ramp later, K.B. breathes.
"Congratulations. You've passed this test." I'm a pilot.
More paperwork and some congratulations from my mates back at the classrooms, and I'm off for the rest of the day. Celebration dinner and beers at Dave & Brittany's, where I'm asleep before midnight. I've got tomorrow off to let it all sink in.
* Jacamar. Not J-A-C-K-A-M-A-R.
0545 - I report to school to check on the weather and complete the endless array of paperwork needed to complete the upcoming tasks. At 0630 I'm greeted by K.B., a friendly 60-ish man who's one of ATP's two designated checkride examiners. Behind a closed office door, we sit down and he tells me what to expect about today's events. After the oral exam, we'll take a flight where I will be, in effect, carrying my first passenger and he'll expect a nice ride.
"Tell me about your aircraft."
"Tell me about the engine in your aircraft."
"Describe the electrical system in your aircraft."
"What are the required inspections needed for your aircraft and how often do they need it?"
"Tell me the V-speeds for this aircraft."
"Define density altitude."
"What's advection fog?"
"What's hypoxia? How can you tell if someone has it and what do you do about it?"
"Carbon monoxide poisoning... same questions."
"Describe wind shear."
"What's P-factor?"
"Define adverse yaw."
"Show me on the map where a Mode C transponder is required."
"What's the minimum visibility requirements for VFR flight in class G airspace at night?"
And on... for two hours.
When I was twelve, I competed in the San Diego County Spelling Bee. I couldn't tell you what words I spelled correctly, but I'll never forget the word I tanked*. Similarly, I'll always remember the one question that I completely missed on this day.
"Is participation in separation services mandatory in a Terminal Radar Service Area?"
Turns out that it's not. I still passed.
I drew a lucky card in getting 441CA, the bird that got me through my first set of good landings and my first solo. A call to weather services confirmed what I was a little worried about... the nearby front had shifted the winds and instead of taking off from the usual runway 1-6, I had to depart from 3-4, which I hadn't done before. No big deal, really... but I'm starting to wonder if there were any more curveballs coming my way.
Good takeoff and smooth air heading south toward Hillsboro. About halfway there, K.B. asks me to divert to Lancaster. Christ... Pennsylvania? California? I hadn't even heard of the Texas one. I whipped out my sectional chart and found it... just beyond good ol' Mid-Way Airport, where I'd been a hundred times, and was within sight at my 8-o'clock. I turned and headed that way, which put us on a perfect course for Lancaster. After I convinced him that I knew what I was doing navigationally, he had me demonstrate some maneuvers. Steep turns, check. Slow flight, check. Power-on stall, check. Power-off stall, check. Emergency landing, check.
"Never mind Lancaster. Take me to Mid-Way and show me some landings."
Along the way, K.B. hands me a things-that-can-go-wrong list. "What would you do if you experienced each of these?"
- partial or complete power loss
- engine roughness or overheat
- carb icing or induction icing
- loss of oil pressure
- fuel starvation
- electrical malfunction
- vacuum/pressure and associated instrument malfunction
- pitot/static malfunction
- landing gear or flap malfunction
- inoperative trim
- inadvertent door or window opening
- structural icing
- smoke/fire/engine compartment fire
Short-field and soft-field takeoffs and landings at Mid-Way (also on the runway opposite the one I'm used to) go well. Keep in mind... a pilot on a checkride is waiting to hear the words "take me back to our airport". The earlier it's said, the worse the news. It's about this time that I hear it from K.B., and I'm only mostly sure that it's good news. A well-executed short-field landing and a taxi back to our ramp later, K.B. breathes.
"Congratulations. You've passed this test." I'm a pilot.
More paperwork and some congratulations from my mates back at the classrooms, and I'm off for the rest of the day. Celebration dinner and beers at Dave & Brittany's, where I'm asleep before midnight. I've got tomorrow off to let it all sink in.
* Jacamar. Not J-A-C-K-A-M-A-R.
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