MEL Inst and Comm Checkride

[El Cid Av8or]

Howdy folks. I know it's been a while since I visited the site but life has been busy. Anyway, I am getting ready to take my multi-engine instrument and commercial checkride. My instructor says that it should be not more than a couple approaches (at least one on single engine) and maybe the basic maneuvers (stalls, steep turns, slow flight). Is that correct?

Thanks.

Hope ya'll are doing well and flying a lot!!!

 

[bobbysamd]

Commercial Multi/Instrument practical

You will be responsible for everything in the Commercial PTS oral. Expect the examiner to grill you on every Area of Operation. Know all your Commercial privileges and limitations. Know the difference between flying for pay and holding out as an air taxi operator. Know your systems cold, because you'll probably have to draw at least the fuel system, if not the gear system and electrical system, too, of your airplane. Also be well-prepared for the Instrument portion. The oral will not be a day at the beach, but it certainly is something that you can pass.

Don't make any assumptions about the flight. The examiner could very well make you fly all three types of approaches. He/she very well could simulate vacuum failure (partial panel) on one or more approaches. He/she most certainly will pull an engine on one approach. You'll also have to demonstrate all the stalls, flight at critically slow airspeeds, and steep turns. You will also have to demonstrate all the landings, normal, maximum performance, and one with an engine inoperative. You'll also have to react to the examiner's simulation of systems and equipment failures.

In other words, expect a complete flight test. Make sure your instructor works you on everything. Good luck with your practical, and let us know what actually was tested.

 

[stillaboo]

ElCid,

Your instructor probably has sent students to this guy before, so he knows what the guy tests on and looks for. Follow his advice. That being said, anything that 'Bobby' brought up is fair game, plus anything else he didn't. The CMEL-I is the highest GA rateing you can get, and, as such, you are expected to be an extremely competent pilot, one who can handle virtually anything thrown his/her way, be it weather, mechanical failure, ATC, or FAR's. You will legally be able to fly anything out there as a CA under 12,500 lbs, and fly as a FO on anything. You should be able to demonstrate this to the examiner. You are a professional pilot (the Commercial), so you should be able to fly like one and know your stuff like one.

Good luck, you'll do fine!

-Boo!

 

[El Cid Av8or]

Thanks!

Thanks for the tips. I have the aircraft's systems down pretty well and the maneuvers too (knock, knock). I want to do some more single-engine approaches and I think I'll be okay. I don't expect too much in the way of the commercial and instrument knowledge areas since I took my ASEL-Inst and Comm rides with the same examiner earlier this year. Then again, anything is fair game and I want to know it anyway so it would be a good idea to refresh the brain cells.

We haven't done a whole lot with the partial panel failures yet but it's definitely possible. The aircraft is a '64 Beech Baron 55. There's a vac pump on each engine. When the crap really hits the fan and the fan increases speed is when you have an engine failure and then the vac pump on the working engine goes out too. Talk about a bad day at the office!

Thanks once again. The checkride is next Monday so I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[bobbysamd]

B55 Baron

The aircraft is a '64 Beech Baron 55 . . . .

Great airplane! I took my multi and MEI in a B55 and flew it a bunch in the meantime. Great instrument platform. You also get a true Vmc reaction in a B55, as compared to a Seminole, etc., with counter props.

We're talking fifteen years, but I recall two things about the fuel system. I recall some kind of standpipe arrangement in the fuel tanks. You can cavitate the tanks if you have less than minimum fuel, or something like that. Also, switching between the mains and the auxes is important, too. Know these, because you probably will be asked about them.

Good luck with the ride. It makes a difference, sometimes, if you go to the same examiner for all of your practicals. I went to the same examiner for my CFI-A, multi and MEI. When the examiner knows you and your preparation, it can go easier, but you still have to be well prepared.

 

[labbats]

Great plane. I'm in the same boat.
Use only mains on T/O and landings, and auxs on level flight. Mains can't be used safely in a turn with less than 13 gallons per side, and the auxs have all usuable fuel. (At least on ours, we have the optional larger fuel bladders).

Best of luck, and have fun.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it appears you already have your commercial certificate for ASEL? And you have your MEL for private?

Shouldn't this checkride just be a rating add on to your commercial? Meaning you don't have a commercial oral, you have a multi oral. Also, you shouldn't have to do the maneuvers (chandelles, lazy eights, etc) since you already have a commercial certficate?

Last year I took my commercial SEL, then my MEL. The ride was just a multi ride with instrument privaledges. The only difference in private or commercial MEL was the standards to maintain altitudes, airspeeds, etc. I did have questions in the oral about systems, and a couple of basic for hire type questions, but that's about it. Is he really fair game to the PTS of the commercial certificate if he already has a commercial certificate?

 

[El Cid Av8or]

Checkride taken and CHECKRIDE PASSED!!!

Well folks, I passed the checkride and I must say that I actually did pretty well. My instructor sat in the back seat and swears that he will never do that again - too nerve racking. I asked him what he was worried about - he said that he had never sat in the back seat of that plane, only in the front left or right and it was a lot different. I told him to expand his boundaries a little

The oral questions part was pretty simple since I have had the same examiner for all but my private certificate. He did ask the differences between the props on the Baron and the props on the Arrow (took my ASEL comm in that). He knows I know all about the gear since my instructor actually had a partial gear up in that plane (details later). The fuel system is pretty easy to figure out. I haven't heard about the caviating problem but I'll be sure to ask about it.

The examiner was pretty impressed with my handling of the maneuvers and how well I responed with the engine cuts on roll-out and climb-out (300-400 feet, gear up and BAM, critical engine says "see-ya" - Identify, Verify, Feather, come around for normal landing). I must say that I could have done better on the single-engine VOR/DME approach. I didn't descend fast enough and would have landed long on the runway but it was do-able. ATC had us all over the sky and cleared me late for the intial approach - don't know what was up with that deal, they weren't too busy. Another instructor said to tell them "checkride in progress" on the initial call. I said "no offense, but..." I didn't want any favors - I want real-life scenarios here. The short-field landing to drop off the examiner was impressive too. Not trying to be arrogant but I just fealt really good about the ride - better than I had fealt after the other ones in the past.

About that partial gear up landing that my instructor did --- He was on final and had done a normal pattern (when anything changes - everything remains the same). One last checks that everything is down, everything is forward (minus the throttles of course). Single (i.e. only) green light for the main gear is on and the window indicator for the nose gear is down. Time to land. Left side feals low, mixtures to cutoff. Left prop strikes once and left flap and wingtip are damaged. Apparently, the gear release pin for the left main did not pull and the motor (all-electric gear) bend the push-rod for that side. The ride side went down fine as did the nose. This is the draw-back to having only one gear indicator light instead of one for each leg. The plane was repaired (was actually flown to the repair shop with the gear down and locked and a new prop) and runs great.

By the way, on the way back to home base after the checkride, I told my instructor that the plane is a great one and is actually fun to fly when you can sit back and relax and just fly it (i.e. when you're not sweating like crazy from doing a maneuver every minute). I don't care - it's flying and it's good enough for me!!! I needed the workout anyway.

Thanks for the tips and advice. See ya'll on the airways.

 

[bobbysamd]

B55 Barons

Congratulations! Nice job! Good debrief.

I just remember that you had to be careful on taxiing turns to avoid unporting the standpipes. All my B55 materials are well-hidden in storage, so I cannot look it up immediately.

I told my instructor that the plane is a great one and is actually fun to fly when you can sit back and relax and just fly it (i.e. when you're not sweating like crazy from doing a maneuver every minute) . . . .

Isn't it, though? I enjoyed the airplane so much that after I passed my multi I got together with my instructor from time to time just to fly it. He owned the airplane, so scheduling it was easy. I would fly primarily instruments. Then, I did my MEI in the airplane and with the same examiner.

I have perhaps 75 hours in B58 Barons, which are great airplanes, but I liked the B55 better, especially the 1940s-style power quadrant and how it sits sort of on top of the panel, etc.

Good luck with your instructor ratings.