Help! Multi Comm Checkride Coming Up!

[PHXAviator]

Any last minute advice for someone about to take his multi commercial checkride?

I'm doing my multi comm BEFORE my single comm, so I'm aware that there will be more involved.

Incidentally, I'm taking my checkride with John Walkup in Chandler, AZ. Anyone familiar with him? Tips?

Nervous in PHX,
PHXAviator

 

[qwerty]

I'd did my Multi comm first too.

Only one kind on last minute advice to give and is to avoid the

3 D's

Don't do anything

Dumb
Different
or
Dangerous

and you will pass!

 

[Timebuilder]

1) If you exceed a particular value, like an altitude or angle of bank, then correct it ASAP, smoothly and professionally. No need to draw attention to it. It may have gone unnoticed.

2) Know the material for the oral. I recommend the ASA Oral Exam Guides, and have a friend quiz you, preferably a friend who has greater knowledge and experience. Give answers calmly, and succinctly. Don't elaborate.

3) During simulated (power reduction) or "real" (mixture or fuel shutoff, at 3000 agl and above) engine failures, call out each step of the "multi mantra" mixture, props, throttle....you know it by now, so that the examiner knows that you are not skipping any of the steps.

4) Use the checklists. Keep your head outside. Know your aircraft weight and balance, and performance for the day's conditions: T/O, Landing, Accelerate/Stop, Accelerate/Go distances.

5) Be mentally prepared to lose an engine at 50% of Vmc speed on the takeoff roll, and immediately pull the good engine and keep the plane under control as you roll to a stop.

6) Take a positive approach: you're going to enjoy an opportunity to show the examiner how well you can fly.

Good luck!

 

[bobbysamd]

Checkitis - or not

Do everything the way your instructor taught you and you'll be fine. As Timebuilder said, correct deviations from PTS tolerances promptly and smoothly. And don't make a big deal of it to the examiner.

Know your aircraft's systems and performance cold. Know Vmc cold. Your instructor should have drilled you thoroughly on these things. Be able to give complete but to-the-point answers. Know your Commercial Pilot limitations in Parts 61 and 91, in particular the circumstances under which a commercial pilot may accept compensation.

Really, the PTS is both the study guide and the test. Review it and know the answers and/or procedures for each area of operation. Answer only what the examiner asks. Don't volunteer information and don't run off the mouth. You may rival Kelly Johnson in terms of aeronautical knowledge, but do not let on to the examiner you are a know-it-all. You're not. Talk too much and you'll dig a grave for yourself.

Lots of luck with your practical.

 

[Cardinal]

This one wasn't to bad for me, and I did the Comm MEL first, before the SEL. Brief, 45 minute oral. Hopped in the airplane, examiner moaned about my positioning of the aircraft for the runup. Tookoff, standard low speed abort, used remaining runway for departure, another failure at 500 feet or so. Did the cross country navigation for all of ten minutes, and examiner moaned about my leg timing. Diversion to a satellite airport, all engines landing and departure. Maneuvers, stalls, etc. Hood goes on and wout of the blue cleared to xyz VOR, and cleared for the approach. Sorted myself out, halfway through approach examiner brought a throttle all the way to idle and landed. Had fun, and passed.

 

[FSIGRAD]

The best advice I ever got concerning checkrides was this acronym "KISS" -keep it simple stupid! Remeber that you are on the wittness stand and testifying against yourself. Take bobbysamd's advice and voluntier nothing, keep your answers short and simple. If the DE wants any more in depth information or clarification believe me he/she will ask for it.

Checkrides are mostly a mental game, if you are prepared don't sweat it and good luck!

 

[AZaviator]

one more helpful hint

Like yourself, I also did my Commercial multi before my commercial single, but I also did my instrument rating in a Seminole and didn't have to do any approaches on my Commercial multi checkride. Anyways, one thing my instructor taught me was, ALWAYS EXPECT AN ENGINE FAILURE when doing a checkride in a twin. When I was taking off, I was saying to myself....."there's going to be an engine failure......there's going to be an engine failure....".............and sure enough, about 500agl
the examiner pulled the engine on me......and boom, I was ready.
I would recommend doing this during crictical phases of flight. If you really do say this to yourself and are ALWAYS expecting a failure, you won't be surprised when the DE pulls your engine.

Anyways......that seemed to help me during all my multiengine checkrides.

Good luck on your checkride. Let us know how you did and what the checkride consisted of, after you pass!

 

[bigD]

Basically everyone hit on the key points, and I can't emphasize enough to always be ready for an engine failure. Don't assume that just because you're in a manuever that you're safe - my DE shut off the fuel to the inside engine during my steep turns. Everything is game (well, you're probably pretty safe right before the stall breaks during a stall series!).

Good luck! Let us all know how it went.

 

[bobbysamd]

ME ride

Ditto. Let us know. I may be out of the game but I still like to hear about checkrides.

I used to fail the inside engine on my students during steep turns. As the other said, expect an engine failure.

Lots of luck with your ride.

 

[LR25]

I'll add my advise.

When there is a "failure" of any kind, you follow with deliberate and hopefully the correct actions. No wishy washy second guessing, if your training was thourough you won't have any problems.

You just relax, calm down, and address each task as they come before you.

If you act cool at everything the examiner throws at you, it will make your job that much easier, treat it as just another flight.

Unless the airplane is on fire, take the time to sort things out, do the right thing, don't get the rushed feeling, keep your witts about you and execute the correct procedure.

Like the others have said, act like that engine is always going to fail, I still use that premis even today flying for my airline.

Good luck.
LR25

 

[tarp]

I read quickly but I didn't see anything about the oral. Our nearby D.E. says that the oral is 55% of the ride. Know your airplane better than the company that built it. That's a big difference between a Private Single and Comm Multi. You didn't say which airplane, but let's assume the mighty Seminole is involved. A fair question would be - Where does the fuel for the Janitrol Heater come from? If the engine failed on the side the fuel is being pumped from would the Janitrol Heater fail? (I know some people would say that you don't need any more heat in the cockpit if the engine just died!)

My point is - you really have to be in the POH / Airplane Manual.
Know you complex systems cold - Landing Gear, hydraulics, brakes, crossfeed & other fuel system peculiarities, electrical, etc.

Weight and balance - you will be a commercial pilot. Regs - you will be a commercial pilot that might be approached to do flying.

The flying part is easy but made harder if you've just been struggling for two hours worth of oral to get answers out.

Good luck.

 

[PHXAviator]

I'll Be Using an Apache

Thanks everyone for the advice. It's greatly appreciated!

I'll be using an Apache for my checkride. I've been studying the POH religiously, so I shouldn't have a problem with systems. I do need to double check how the nose heater gets its fuel. Great question!

I'll be sure to let the curious know how I do on the checkride.

PHXAviator

 

[bigD]

Oh yeah - the oral!

I took my multi-comm add-on relatively recently, so the DE's questions on the oral are still fresh in my mind. I already had my single engine commercial, so I didn't get asked anything but what was specifically related to twins, but here's what I was asked (I flew a Duchess, by the way):

What is a critical engine, and what are the factors that make one engine more 'critical' than the other?

What is Vmc? How are the aircraft manufacturers required to set up the aircraft and what conditions must be present in determining Vmc? How is Vmc affected and what can we do on the ground, and in the air, to lower it? Why must you be careful of altitude when doing a Vmc demo?

I had to draw the fuel system, prop system, pressure system, landing gear system, and the electrical system up on a white board and explain them one by one. I was asked failure type questions for each system (except the pressure system). Tarp has it right - I was asked how much fuel is used by the heater per hour. I already had the line for the heater coming off the right tank in my diagram, so I wasn't asked which tank. I was asked where I can find the valves to add Nitrogen pressure to the hubs of the props. And if in a jam somewhere, can I add oxygen instead if Nitrogen isn't available? Lots of stuff like that.

Tanis is dead on when he says that you gotta know the systems. It's a biggie. Far more in depth than for my single engine commercial, although maybe it's a DE thing.

Lastly I had to do weight and balance stuff - one of my pax was extra big, which I assumed the DE did on purpose to see if I'd put him up front to lower Vmc, etc - and performance figures. Accelerate and Stop, Accelerate and Go, Single engine climb rates, and then the rest of the typical ones.

That was it. Lasted about 2 hours, with much of time being spent drawing those dang systems up on the board! I guess your may be longer since the DE will be asking all the other commercial questions as well...

Hope this helps!