Instrument Checkride

unclenobby

Well-Known Member
Had the ride a few days ago so here's the write up.

Got to the aiport a few hours early to preflight and take the AC up for a spin since I had not been in it for a month or so. Noticed no VOR check in the past 30 days and the GPS database was not current by a few days.
Went in to meet the examiner 15 minutes early and told him why the AC was not IFR current but that dispatch would update the database and we could perform the VOR check in VFR before entering IMC (it was a crap day and IMC was all but guarenteed). He seemed impressed with the level of prepartion and it got the process off to a great start. Next, we discussed the TEC he had me prepare and I also volunteered all of the weight and balance, TO and LNDG performance as well as fuel burn and alternate requirements based on a recent TAF. I realised that you can premept a lot of questions by preparing correctly and it saves having to answer questions from memory. Anyway.....
The DPE was big into ODP's (I was forewarned) and we spent a lot of time discussing them. We reviewed a few night VFR departures that ended badly because the pilot could not see terrain. He also stressed to read the fine print on charts (eg GPS app NA at night....Take off mins even though they do not apply to Part 91 they are there for a reason) Other topics were emergency procedures, Catergories and Speeds, circle to land minimums and obstacle clearance. It only lasted about an hour and I think that's because it started so well and ended up more like a discussion than a test.

File a flight plan to a local Class C for 2 approaches and back. Gave him the full "if you were a passenger" briefing, read the checklist out loud and my observations, as well as a full take off brief. Non towered field, picked up clearance on delivery frequency - and off we go. Quick VOR check in VFR and not long after we were in the soup.
Vectors for the ILS approach, down to DH, missed, ATC assigned missed instructions and then Vectors back for a VORDME approach. This time hood off before MDA and continued for a touch and go. Vectors followed by Direct to the IF for the ILS at our original departure airport, held at the OM, flew the approach and then the full charted missed procedure. Another hold, then onto airwork. Started off with steep turns the a couple of level altitude stalls. Finally a gyro failure for the GPS approach back into the departure airport - used a combination of mag compass and the compass rose display on the G530 for course guidane and the other usual partial panel stuff.
Circle to land and once we got off the active he told me I passed. Good feeling!!
Hope this helps if you have your ride soon and the best advise I can give is you can prepare a lot of the topics before hand (not just learn them off by heart) and take the pressure off yourself. I didn't fly great but didn't do anything silly either, about 45 minutes of the ride was in actual.
 
A DE can't technically take you into IMC because you are the pilot in command on your checkride and you're not rated yet, he's basically just your safety pilot. I see it happen all the time though. Congrats on the passing though. :)
 
Oops, sorry about that. It is an old PTS. Do you know when they did away with them?
 
Thanks! I guess it should have gave me a clue that I had an old PTS when I had to dust it off. ;)
 
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