ATP Ride (part 91 GA)

[wheelsup]

Anyone had any experience with the ATP checkride with a DE? Looking for info/experience with taking a checkride in a baron part 61/91 (not 121 or 135 "upgrades").

Thanks
~wheelsup

 

[350DRIVER]

Take a look at the ATP PTS, you shouldn't see anything that would surprise you come checkride time if you prepare accordingly. I would also suggest buying the ATP oral guide published by ASA, pretty good prep for the oral portion of the ride.

good luck,

3 5 0

 

[GravityHater]

There is something here I don't understand...
I thought to get, or be, an ATP meant you were operating under either 135 or 121. What is "part 91 ATP"??
Is this just a wording thing or?
I suppose when you take a test in a private plane you are pt 91 is that what the line means??
Thanks.

 

[wheelsup]

Yeah, I realize that there is the PTS and oral guide, but I was just looking for some experiences on the ATP rides themselves.

Yeah, you can be an ATP, it's just a license (like private pilot/commercial pilot). I was looking for experiences from people who had done it not VIA an upgrade in a 121 or 135 environment.

thanks
~wheelsup

 

[Guitar Guy]

I have a few friends that have done it. Supposedly I've heard of someone doing their ATP ride in a C-182! But most of the non-121/135 guys that I've talked with have done it in piston twins. Apparently it's just another checkride, applying the ATP PTS to the ride. Experiences vary depending on the examiner, but that's true for any checkride.

For what it's worth, at my last airline, a few people thought having the ATP before doing their Upgrade checkride would make that ride easier, but it doesn't change anything, according to the director of training. Still there are some reasons for doing the ATP outside of a 121/135 environment, the chief one possibly being that having the ATP might qualify one to apply at certain operators.

 

[minitour]

I've talked to a couple of instructors here who instruct the ATP applicants both ASE and AME...This is all second (possibly third or fourth) hand information, so take it for what its worth...

The general consensus is: Know your sh*t.

Just about anything is fair game.

On the checkride, you'll do an instrument approach where the DE is supposed to fail everything. Reach for flaps...oops flap motor is broken..want the gear...oops so is the gear motor...using Nav2 uh oh...not getting the ID on Nav 2? oh no...now you lost an engine...get it feathered...oh crap, now your vacuums are gone...no boots (if we had them), no gyros...eek...cant use the windshield heat either (if we had it) cuz now you're using the compass for direction so you're getting ice all over the windshield...now you need to forward slip to so you can see the runway out da side window...but you're OEI...break out at minimums (take off the hood) and hey lets do a short field landing instead...get it set up and do it...nail those target airspeeds...oh no something is on the runway...SE missed...

This one guy (instructor) gets a kick out of doing this stuff to the applicants...and I guess the examiner here does too...

Make sure you're using the proper checklists for each situation...

Know the airplane inside out....know the systems like you designed them yourself...

Here, it's a pretty inclusive checkride...you really earn it...not sure how others are, but I'd say (from what I've heard from instructors and newly minted ATPs) he throws everything at you and expects it to be to PTS (obviously)...I've heard of some ATP folk getting in screaming matches with him during the ride "this would never happen!" stuff like that...I'd recommend against doing that...

Maybe check out a 141 program...3-5 days and you're done...if they have in house testing (like us) then its even easier...Here they're doing a ASE (172RG) then the ME (Duchess) add on...don't really know why...I guess it has something to do with the airplane itself...I dunno...not really paying attention when they talked about it...

When he does the SE ride it's about a 2 hour ride...the ME add on is about the same...the oral has gone anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours and its a group setting...

Remember...this is all second hand information from other students/instructors/applicants...so take that with a grain of salt...

Good luck!

-mini

 

[Daveman]

Good luck.

 

[avbug]

I did my ATP with a designated examiner. The ATP is nothing more than another instrument checkride. If you can pass the ride for your instrument rating, you can pass the ride for the ATP. The commercial is nothing more than a glorified private pilot checkride, and the ATP is nothing more than a commercial instrument ride...if you think about it, there's really little more to it than what it takes to be a private pilot.

Hate to wound the egos of all those who see the ATP as the "Doctorate" of the aviation world, but it's just another level of pilot certification, and it's the same old maneuvers, doing the same old things, nothing new under the sun. If you can pass any other checkride, you can certainly pass your ATP.

 

[typhoonpilot]

Anyone had any experience with the ATP checkride with a DE? Looking for info/experience with taking a checkride in a baron part 61/91 (not 121 or 135 "upgrades").

Quite honestly that is how I thought most people did it. Me and all of my peers did it that way back in the 80s. There shouldn't be anything real spectacular about it, just buy the PTS guide and read it, as that is what the DE is required to work from. As Avbug says, it is just an instrument ride with slightly tighter tolerances.

On the checkride, you'll do an instrument approach where the DE is supposed to fail everything. Reach for flaps...oops flap motor is broken..want the gear...oops so is the gear motor...using Nav2 uh oh...not getting the ID on Nav 2? oh no...now you lost an engine...get it feathered...oh crap, now your vacuums are gone...no boots (if we had them), no gyros...eek...cant use the windshield heat either (if we had it) cuz now you're using the compass for direction so you're getting ice all over the windshield...now you need to forward slip to so you can see the runway out da side window...but you're OEI...break out at minimums (take off the hood) and hey lets do a short field landing instead...get it set up and do it...nail those target airspeeds...oh no something is on the runway...SE missed...

Sorry Minitour but if a guy ever gave me more than one major failure and one minor failure I would be going straight to the FAA to have his certificate revoked. Guys like that need to be set straight .


TP

 

[minitour]

...Sorry Minitour but if a guy ever gave me more than one major failure and one minor failure I would be going straight to the FAA to have his certificate revoked. Guys like that need to be set straight .


TP

I hear ya...trust me...I did a checkride with his "assistant" and wanted to call the Feds...but it was no big deal. He gave me some issues and I just handled them to the best of my (limited) experience and ability.

The other thing is, the FAA approved the course and the checkride...plus it's a 141 ride so you can't really "pink"...if you know what I mean...if they want to bust me for not being able to set it down in a situation like that, fine by me...more ME PIC time...and it's a guaranteed rating so it just cost him more money...

Sometimes I think they (examiners/check airmen) do things just for their own personal kicks...like an ego trip...

Again...that previous post was based on second hand information. I'm not an ATP and I didn't sleep at a holiday in express last night...so take it for what its worth...

Could it have been people trying to freak me out? Sure...I'm kinda gullable too so it's possible.

Be Safe!

-mini