I hear there is a great BBQ joint out there, Carsons?
Lots of equipment in a plane is lots of fun for some of us CFIIs. There are certain failure combinations that can really keep a pilot working. There are some normal operation combinations that can also keep a pilot working.
What do ya do if everything is working? Does the 396 have the flightplan crossfilled from the Trimble, or do you have to enter everything twice?
Are all of the needles pointing to something, or do you have to scramble if one radio quits?
Do you manage your workload in advance, or are you constantly behind the eight-ball when told to change frequencies?
Can you recognize the subtle failures, like a glideslope out of calibration, or an altimeter that is 50' off? Is an altimeter 50’ off a failure?
Is all of the paperwork in order? (My number one problem found in the preflight.) Are the required handbooks that 'must be accessible to the pilot' accessible? Or are they in the baggage compartment? Does the baggage compartment door have the placard? Is the compass card dated, legible, and current?
Is the pilot aware of the NTSB's decision regarding "known ice", which is more restrictive than the FAA's? How about the recommended penalty for conducting flight in known ice (hang 'em high)?
Is the equipment on board working properly or does the pilot make a bunch of excuses for how they cheat the equipment into doing the job, especially the autopilot?
I usually do a ‘9 Lives’ exercise in the sim before flying with a pilot for an IPC, sending them off to an IFR checkride, telling ‘em good luck on their airline interview sim ride, or moving on to the airplane. The ‘9 Lives’ lets me know what needs work. It’s a simple cross country that requires clearance-copying, CFIT avoidance, lost comm procedures, partial panel recognition, unusual attitude recoveries, navigation along airways, navigation equipment failure recognition, three types of approaches including a single-nav non-precision approach, checklist adherence, missed approach procedures, holding patterns both for the missed and in lieu of a procedure turn, alternate airport selection, fuel management, and a whole host of other skills. It’s unrealistic as all of the failures ‘probably’ won’t ever happen to anyone, but even a single one has caused pilots to kill themselves. So, to keep it fun, it’s a game. If you make it through with one life remaining, you win. You lose a life if your pitch exceeds 20 degrees in either direction, if bank angle exceeds 60 degrees, if you spin, hit a mountain, lose control, exceed altitude by more than 2000’ up or 200’ low, run out of fuel, land gear up, go missed at MDA in a non-turbine twin, and a few other things.
After the sim session, we know what needs work. Most of that can be accomplished in the sim if needed. Or, we step into the plane and get to work there. The IFR PTS dictates what a CFII must see in order to sign off an IPC. The pilot’s performance must be up to PTS standards. The PTS gives CFIIs no choice. I must see a circle-to-land approach, and if the airplane is so equipped, a GPS approach and an autopilot-coupled approach. If they show up with an IFR Garmin 480, we’re going to Carlsbad to do a precision GPS approach.
My IPC syllabus is dictated by the pilot and the airplanes they usually fly.
Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
