Passed checkride!

[vclean]

Farm animals don't count.

 

[generaltso]

WHAT ABOUT DOMESTICATED PETS?

 

[mattfish42]

Congratulations!

I combined my Private checkride with my first emergency. After stumbling through the oral and a few questionable take-offs and landings, it was time for ground-reference maneuvers. I was just pointing out a little farm shed to do turns around when (sniff, sniff...) "What's that smell?!" Smelled like plastic burning.

I briefly wondered if the examiner had some hidden smoke-in-a-can or something. I was sure he was simulating it somehow, to see if I responded correctly. But nope, he says "That smells electrical! Kill the master switch! My airplane!"

So we land at the nearest airport and call the school so they can send another plane for us. While waiting for our ride, I found a burnt wire at the landing light switch, but the sun was setting and I wasn't sure that there weren't any other problems, so advised them not to fly the plane until it could be thoroughly inspected the next day.

A few days later the examiner and I finished the checkride in another plane.

So it turned out to not really be much of an emergency, but we didn't know that at the time!

 

[bobbysamd]

Passing the Private

Congratulations! Now you can write in the "pilot-in-command" column in your logbook. (I realize the reg changed and that student pilots can count solo time as PIC.)

Despite how the checkride went, you can land the airplane. Just look at your Temporary, which says "Airplane Single Engine 'Land.'"

Now the learning really begins. It is said that a Private Pilot certificate is really a license to learn. Remember that and you'll be fine. Good luck with the rest of your training.

 

[KigAir]

I JUST HAD SEX!!!!!!

Did you log it as solo or dual?

 

[Airpiraterob]

did he log it as:
SIC? (bottom)
PIC? (top)

and $350 for the private checkride?.....holy balls is that the going rate out west?...i think mine was $75....back in '94...and i think the rate now is about $125 in the same area....i guess the oil squeeze makes DE's harder to find cheap....right?...

 

[SupraZachAir]

I remember my biggest fear before my pvt checkride was the DE. I've heard a bunch of horror stories about d*ckhead examiners who are just waiting for any excuse to fail a person. Turns out the DE was one hell of a nice guy.

Its smarter for them to be nice. Being a dick is a good way to never be reccommended. My FBO has a small handfull of D.E.'s, and they're all really great.

and $350 for the private checkride?.....holy balls is that the going rate out west?...i think mine was $75....back in '94...and i think the rate now is about $125 in the same area....i guess the oil squeeze makes DE's harder to find cheap....right?...

My check ride was $300. I thought about rolling up a wad of $5's or $1's and one $20 on the outside.

 

[VNugget]

The best way to pay is with a check, so you can cancel it if he fails you.

On the serious side, I wanna thank everyone for the kind words and congratulations.

Yes, I did sign my ticket, that scan is just from as soon as I brought it home.

I've heard the "license to learn" bit numerous times before, and that is exactly what I intend to do.

Oh, and just as promised, on my very next flight, I presented the Aviation Gods two very beautiful landings. I was actually taking one of my best friends for a $100 hamburger, who is back in one piece. I guess so far I'm 1 for 1 as far as passengers go! (As an aside, I should note that in the time we took to eat lunch, the winds turned 90 degrees and picked up to what was probabl at least 20 knots... there was no AS/WOS anywhere near, so that's an estimate. Good thing there was a crosswind runway, or that would have been an interesting takeoff. There was a taxiing taildragger which needed someone to push the tail into the wind, and when my plane was broadside to it and it was gusting into my static port, the altimeter and VSI were jumping around, the fomer +/- 50 feet. )