Checkride Horror Stories...or not

[350DRIVER]

Are you joking or being serious?



3 5 0

 

[mattpilot]

hilarious To be honest with you... if i were you, i would of post-poned the checkride at the point where you passed the Run-up area. No one can force you to go.. remember, you are the PIC - you make the decisions. And no, if you cancel/post-pone a checkride, you won't get failed (unless you've made some grave mistakes up to the point where you cancel).

Anyhow, to counter the negative instrument checkride, i got a good story about mine hehe

I took my IR ride a few months ago ... it was the best flight i've ever had! I've never been so relaxed before any flight. I answered all questions (correctly, mind you ), and i just felt good about the whole thing. The flight even took place in actual conditions. Only downside to that was, he still made me wear the hood cause it had to be 100% inside the aircraft, even though you couldn't see more than 20ft in the clouds . I flew every approach perfect ... the best part was coming back to the airport on a non-precision approach doing a circle-to-land move ... I've never done that before in actual conditions. There was a ceiling at some 1000ft agl and some scattered clouds between 500ft-1000ft. Once the Time on the approach elapsed, i looked up took a real quick look - barely found the airport behind some clouds, told him i got it - reported "airport insight" to the tower too. At this point i was a little confused, cause i've never done a circle-to-land in actual conditions this "bad". He looks over and asks, "and, can we finish the approach" ? I reply "we can always try" and smile . So there i am maintaining my 3/4 mile distance from airport dodging clouds and doing my pattern. There was a big cloud on final ... I had to duck behind it to get into position to land. Man i prayed real hard to be able to see through that cloud so i didn't have to go missed. And guess what, I did - the runway lights were barely visible

Most exciting flight so far - hoping for more action like that in the future



-----
Best advice i can give for any checkride is to just take command of the flight. Thats what your supposed to do. Do what you know how to do and do it without asking the examiner every few minutes. Only do what he tells you to do - otherwise just do what is considered to be safe and standard operating practice. Be confident!

 

[Ravengirl]

if you know Santa Ana winds...

My private checkride went fairly well until about 95% of the way through. The oral was simple, the flight had been unsurprising, and I hadn't been asked to do or explain anything I wasn't prepared for.

On our way back into SNA (I was between Fullerton and Long Beach at the time) I listened to the ATIS and discovered that, in the hour since we'd taken off, the Santa Ana winds had kicked up- big time. The runways were reversed, and the tower informed me minutes later that two pilots had reported wind shear on short final.

Up until this point, mind you, I was certain I'd nailed everything and that fifteen more minutes would bring me my certificate. The flight started to get bumpier as I was cleared by the tower to land north on 1R. Over the golf course, the 152 started to sink like a rock. I added more power, and started to recover. I continued over the freeway and towards the runway. But about twenty feet above the runway threshold, I started to sink again and firewalling the throttle didn't QUITE do the trick. I bounced. Hard. To the point where I was twenty or so feet up a second later. I felt like I was in a ping-pong ball. The examiner was still silent. I was worried I'd broken the plane.

I immediately went around to regroup, and called the tower to say that yes, indeed, short final was hazardous. The second landing was uneventful.

Once the airplane was tied down, I approached the examiner, who was still sitting inside the plane taking notes.

"So, how did I do?" I asked, expecting the absolute worst.
"I'm going to pass you," she said. I think my shock was apparent on my face, as she continued, "I know you think that landing was terrible- and it WAS," she said, laughing, "but you recovered as quickly as anyone I've seen, the go-around was fine, and the second landing was as good as the rest you did today. I think you'll learn a lot from this."
"**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** straight," was all I could say at the time, still amazed. I seriously thought I was done for after the giant bounce...

Stephanie

 

[U of I Tweak]

My private checkride was actually a lot of fun. The examiner was a 135 pilot who had been my instructor's DE for several checkrides. Thunderstorms had been scheduled for the afternoon of the ride, but I decided that we may have enough time to complete everything so I didn't postpone it. I flew from my home field to the airport to meet the examiner, with my CFI driving in a half our later with lunch. The oral went pretty smoothly - I think it lasted a grand total of 45 minutes or so. Midway through it, my CFI showed up with McDonalds, so I ate while him and the DE talked. Unfortunately, as we went outside after the oral, we saw lightning and had to reschedule the flight.

The flight went pretty well a few days later. Since I flew in, he didn't need to see me do another preflight, just asked if I was happy with the one I had done already. We strapped in and headed out. My turns about a point were a little sloppy, but he showed one or two and mine were acceptable. The engine failure was cool. He didn't have me recover until 10 or 20 feet above the corn - and as we climbed back up he pointed out the airport about1/2 mile away that probably would have been a better choice . The best thing though was his shaking my hand after I got out of the airplane and congratulating me.


My commercial checkride was probably my most nerve-wracking experience in an airplane. After I got my private, I attended a 141 school. However, I learned I could skip ahead a semester and not take the second half of my commercial if I took a 61 checkride (I had all the requirements for a 61 license). So, with minimal training in lazy 8's, chandelles, and 8's on pylons, I set out to rent a 172 RG. I got checked out in one, and rented it overnight. I spent a couple of hours practicing my maneuvers, as I had up until then zero hours in a Cutlass. The next morning, I flew to Kankakee, IL to meet my examiner, who I scheduled about two days beforehand. (The rush was I had to get my commercial before the fall semester at school started so I could enroll in the CFI course). The oral went really well, and most of the flight wasn't too bad. I got just a bit flustered on my cross country, but kept my bearings and did a resonably accurate groundspeed check. Some of the maneuvers were a bit iffy - mostly the 8's on pylons. We came back into the the airport where I had a great power off 180. The then paused the check ride for a quick bathroom break - I sat in the airplane with it idling while he ran inside - did a short field and a soft field and called it a day. I was hugely relieved when I got the temporary....but it was short lived as it was about 12:30, and I had to fly the plane back to Aurora, then drive to Champaign to catch my 5:45 Mesaba flight to Detroit for my ramp class training. I think I pulled into the parking lot at like 5:38. And I discovered what happens to my little Ford Taurus Wagon when I go faster then the speedometer reads....but I made it. I'll consider it a fairly successful day.

 

[Jmmccutc]

Mine story was a sort of personal satisfaction/tribute...i had started my PPL checkride on Jany 31, 2003, and was unable to complete due to NE Ohio weather...i did finish my ride on Feb 2, 2003...this was two years to the day that my two best friends in HS passed away in a car accident...

as for horror stories...i don't have any i'm just that **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** good that i don't ever get in to a fix, or not know my stuff...

 

[LR60BOY]

Anybody know Vern Pellman out at FSI TUS?


'Nuff Said

 

[U of I Tweak]

"He didn't have me recover until 10 or 20 feet above the corn"

Are you serious?

What I've been told is that DEs expect you to recover on your own once you breach 500AGL...which is the minimum distance required from people, things, vessels, etc...

FAR 91.119 Minimum Safe Altitudes:
Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitude:
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
(b) Over Congested areas. Over any congested airea of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the higest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, cehicle, or structure.

Since we were flying over a sparsely populated area, we were good on down to the surface. If the engine had failed....well we were doing an emergency landing so we would have just landed. I do know that some people expect to recover from a simulated emergency at 500', but I think there's a lot that can still go wrong at that altitude. For example, if you pull the power out of a ground reference maneuver, you're only beginning at 800'-1000' anyway, that doesn't leave much time to get set up before going around at 500'.

 

[minitour]

Thanks to everyone for responding...really helped lessen the tension and nervousness I had been feeling...went up today (oral the other day) for the flight portion and he was a happy DE at the end of the flight...gave me some good tips and all in all seemed like he was satisfied...was I? Not necessarily, my altitude got a little bit off but there was some bumps so I won't really complain...the steep turns I had been dreading because of altitude, so I started to the left (my hardest side) and the altitude was there, then it started to drop (I think I was actually applying forward pressure -DOH) so I yanked back and back we go up to 2,500...to the right was almost perfect...50 feet up and 0 feet down so that's pretty close...

again thanks to everyone for easing the tension and now I can add PP-ASEL to my resume. WOOHOO! Now, who can I take as my first passenger?.....

-mini

 

[Snakum]

Congrats Mini! I'll be your first pax if you can pick me up in GSO

GK ... didn't you have a checkride today? How'd it go?

Minh

 

[Snakum]

Oh crap ... I guess I read too quickly.

Sorry GK.

Minh

 

[350DRIVER]

Don't forget the 8710.

Speaking from personal experience now.

Makes for a crappy flight home.

Ya know what? Your CFI should be hung....


no excuses on this one-


3 5 0

 

[350DRIVER]

I think i should take his cigarettes away for a week.

or....


Give the FAA a "very friendly" call and "reason" to 709 ride this guy... j/k


3 5 0

 

[Snakum]

I think i should take his cigarettes away for a week.

Hey ... let's not get cruel.

If he got you ready in 40 hours, he obviously did his job well, and you've certainly been busting your butt, too. Did you do a lot of flight simming while training?

Best of luck to you Friday.

Minh

(I had 106 hours on the books when I took my ride, which doesn't include at least 30 hours flown before I started logging time in 1995. I'm kinda slow. )

 

[Movin' on up!]

Wire thickness

I busted my private checkride on the 2nd question.
Q: Why is the thickness of the wires from the alternators to the bus bar thicker than from the bus bar to electronic instruments in the airplane?

A: In case there is an electrical overload. The thinner wires will burn and protect the instruments and avoids causing a fire.
HUH? Yup, the examiner said that "as a private pilot I should know the airplane I am flying in the most intimate way." CFI and school's chief pilot protested vehemently, but I still failed and an ugly mark is in my record. Mechanic said that could be an answer, but that he had never is his 25 yrs as a mechanic heard that explanation.

 

[mattpilot]

@Movin on up

That is one bullshiat answer from the DPE. I would of called the FAA and recommended retraining for this gimp. To late now though, huh?

ANyhow, The wires got nothing to do with protecting the instruments. Thats what the Circuit breakers are there for. The thickness of the wires entirely depends on the load the wire will receive and is expected to carry. In any case, you would want a strong wire to PREVENT any burnout at all, and would also be stronger than the circuit breaker. I'm sure they have standards for that - ask a mechanic.

Why in the hell would you want to put a thinner wire anywhere and give it the opportunity to burn, and cause an electrical fire behind the firewall? HELLOOO?

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

"He didn't have me recover until 10 or 20 feet above the corn"

Are you serious?

What I've been told is that DEs expect you to recover on your own once you breach 500AGL...which is the minimum distance required from people, things, vessels, etc...

I know of a DE here that for emergency engine outs, he has you fly it all the way to the flare over a cornfield... He owns the cornfield tho

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

The DE specifically says that you shouldn't touch the throttle until he says that you can. He does an engine out early in the lesson and one near the very end (the one at the end is where he does the cornfield engine out).

He also tries to get you to bust the class C airspace too if you aren't careful (the core of the C is about 1-2 miles away from the airport you fly to).

Usually, I go to 200ft if I have the field made before recovering. I recover higher if I figure it's iffy.

 

[pilotman2105]

Don't forget the 8710.

Speaking from personal experience now.

Makes for a crappy flight home.

Check http://av-info.faa.gov/. In the respective PTS, there is a fairly comprehensive pre-checkride checklist.

The only thing that it is missing is "Sanity."

 

[pilotman2105]

I went over the checklist 40 times...somehow I just took for granted that I had the 8710..can't explain why I didn't confirm I had it.

Sh*t happens.

For my ASES rating, I had the DE screaming at me. It got so bad that I had to exercise the applicant's right to discontinue the checkride. You're gonna have your good moments and your bad. Just shrug them off and keep going.

 

[mattpilot]

The wires from the alternator to the bus bar are thicker because they carry a higher voltage than the wires from the bus bar to the instruments. Each instrument uses less voltage than the alternator puts out to the bus bar as a whole, thus the use of a thinner wire

Then I was right, woohoo.

Not quite - Its not voltage, but rather load - also known as "Current". And Load is measured in Ampere. Ampere = Voltage/Resistance (Ohm). When looking at the circuit breakers in the aircraft, you see a number on it. Thats the max amount of ampere that this particular circuitbreaker can take. Normal load for that circuit is 80% of whats written on it. If the load goes above whats written on the breaker, it trips and the entire circuit is protected.


Also, on a similar subject (not really, but its interesting none the less ), its not Voltage that kills you, but Ampere. As little as 0.75 Ampere can kill you. Thats not a lot you say, and you are quite correct. The average human body has a resistance of between 500k-800k Ohm when it is dry. WHen you are wet, it is much much muuuuuuuucccccchhh lower. Anyway, to do some math, if you have a resistance of 500k Ohm, and lets say a current of .75 Amp touches and kills you, the voltage will have to be roughly 375000 Volts.

On the other hand, if your wet, your resistance will roughly be 1000 OHM (i forgot, to be honest - its been a long time since i had the class ). So some math tells me, for a .75 amp current to kill me, it needs to have roughly 750 Volts.

Notice those are all milli second exposures. Longer exposures at reduced current can also have a fatal effect. Its like "cooking" you.

Anyway, sorry i got carried away - i just felt like sharing that at the moment

Good night all