surreal1221
Well-Known Member
Checkride was with the Atlanta FSDO on Thursday the 25th.
We began at 8am, and there were three people in attendance for my oral. The primary examiner, and two other inspectors sitting in.
Oral lasted approximately 2.5 hours. Flight was 1.0 on the hobbs.
Oral
We began the oral a little after 8am. First we went over paperwork, and I was already in the "Instructor mindset" of explaining and educating them about each item. The examiner asked me to show that I had been current since I first started flying, and if needed to explain any lapse of currency. Discussed each student pilot endorsement, private pilot endorsement, commercial pilot endorsement, as well as my complex and CFI practical prep endorsements.
Next we covered aircraft documentation. Discussed what was required for an aircraft to maintain airworthiness, for hire, and not for hire (the lack of a 100 hour inspection). After proving that we had an airworthy aircraft I was then told that we would now start the oral. And here I am, thinking the oral has already started. . .fine by me.
Area of Operations 1: Fundamentals of Instructing
Exempt as I held a ground instructor certificate.
Area of Operation 2: Technical Subject Areas
Task L: Was satisfied during the "Pre-oral" portion
Task B: Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance
I provided a ground lesson on proper visual scanning techniques and collision avoidance. Simple as pie. Straight to the point, be sure to ask them questions during the lesson, as well as verbal quizzing after the lesson is complete. Make sure your examiner stays awake. Notice when he/she is falling asleep and then ask him a question about something you just said.
Area of Operation 3: Preflight Preparation
We completed this one as well during the "Pre-oral" portion. Reference aircraft documents and airworthiness.
Area of Operation 4: Preflight Lesson on a Maneuver to be performed in flight
Try to guess what he gave me. . .Vmc Demonstration? Nope. Steep Turns? Nope. A ground reference maneuver? Nope.
Unusual Attitudes.
Provided a ground lesson over unusual attitudes, proper recognition and recovery techniques. Partial panel unusual attitude recovery, etc.
Area of Operation 5: Preflight Procedures
Task B: Cockpit Management
Pretty simple stuff here, of course have a lesson plan hitting the bullet points and you'll do fine. A clean cockpit is a safe cockpit, as well as a efficient.
And that was it for the oral. 2.5 hours - done. Break for lunch.
Flight
This particular examiner was familiar with the airplane and requested that he taxi and do the run-up. No problem with that on my end.
We finally get done with our run-up and it's time to go. I'm told to perform a normal / crosswind takeoff. . .I applied crosswind correction during the initial roll, and decreased it as needed as there really was no crosswind. Departed the pattern and on the way out I explained to him climbs (Fundamentals of Flight Area of Operation). Once we got above the SCT035 layer, we went right into steep turns. Explaining adverse yaw, overbanking tendency. Completed those, asked if he wanted to give it a try - he declined but said thanks. From steep turns we went into a power off stall. Explained the situations that you would see such a thing (approach and landing), finished that up then performed a Vmc demo, explaining how to recover (reducing power, regaining directional control, increasing power pitch for Vyse).
After the Vmc demonstration we went into the Unusual attitude flight lesson. Make sure you briefed positive exchange of controls on the ground. We refreshed what I had taught on the ground, questioned him on how to recover from a nose high and nose low unusual attitude and then I had him put his head down. Put the plane first into a nose high, low airspeed - he recovered correctly. I asked him what unusual attitude was that - answered correctly. Next did a nose low, high airspeed, he also recovered correctly.
After that he said "we're going to take a break in the practical, and I'm going to show you something." Fine by me. He showed me a technique that was widely used in the Air Force, and is something the FAA is trying to educate instructors on. In a nose high, low airspeed situation, continuing to roll the aircraft towards a 55-60* bank during the recovery will allow airspeed to increase and as the nose reaches the horizon you arrest any descent and roll wings level and then increase your power. It was interesting to see him perform this type of set up, but it's really not something that we in the training environment put our general aviation multi engine aircraft into.
But - nevertheless, no big deal. We discussed this situation more on the ground and then we both reached the conclusion that it's good training, but it's best to follow the AFH explanation until it is updated with anything new.
After the unusual attitude I took the airplane back and continued the practical. I performed an engine shutdown, and with his help, followed through the engine restart procedure. No big deal.
We started heading back to the airport, performed a normal approach until he told me "Elephant on the runway." I executed the Go Around, explaining the process. (Power - Flaps - Gear ... etc).
Next pattern was a single engine approach and landing. I explained the safe approach of maintaining more power, and essentially said you don't ever want to have to try a SE go around in a light twin. The odds are against you, so you are essentially committed to the landing once you lose an engine. Even more so once you put your gear down.
We landed, cleared the runway, and I asked what next (cause I didn't really have much of a plan of attack and was really expecting another takeoff and landing). Nope, we were done. He told me "Just so you're not wondering, you passed and congratulations."
I felt pretty good about the whole experience. I've realized that by showing a high confidence attitude, you'll do just fine. Of course though, you need to have the knowledge. But if you show any signs of weakness, you will gradually begin losing your chance of completing the practical exam successfully.
I was told later by the examiner that "It's tough sometimes with a marginal candidate. You really have to fine something to pass them on, or pink slip them. But with a well prepared candidate, with a great attitude, it's easy for us to see that they actually "Get it" and it makes it much easier on us because we can actually enjoy flying with them (you)."
If you have any questions, please ask through PM or here.
We began at 8am, and there were three people in attendance for my oral. The primary examiner, and two other inspectors sitting in.
Oral lasted approximately 2.5 hours. Flight was 1.0 on the hobbs.
Oral
We began the oral a little after 8am. First we went over paperwork, and I was already in the "Instructor mindset" of explaining and educating them about each item. The examiner asked me to show that I had been current since I first started flying, and if needed to explain any lapse of currency. Discussed each student pilot endorsement, private pilot endorsement, commercial pilot endorsement, as well as my complex and CFI practical prep endorsements.
Next we covered aircraft documentation. Discussed what was required for an aircraft to maintain airworthiness, for hire, and not for hire (the lack of a 100 hour inspection). After proving that we had an airworthy aircraft I was then told that we would now start the oral. And here I am, thinking the oral has already started. . .fine by me.
Area of Operations 1: Fundamentals of Instructing
Exempt as I held a ground instructor certificate.
Area of Operation 2: Technical Subject Areas
Task L: Was satisfied during the "Pre-oral" portion
Task B: Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance
I provided a ground lesson on proper visual scanning techniques and collision avoidance. Simple as pie. Straight to the point, be sure to ask them questions during the lesson, as well as verbal quizzing after the lesson is complete. Make sure your examiner stays awake. Notice when he/she is falling asleep and then ask him a question about something you just said.
Area of Operation 3: Preflight Preparation
We completed this one as well during the "Pre-oral" portion. Reference aircraft documents and airworthiness.
Area of Operation 4: Preflight Lesson on a Maneuver to be performed in flight
Try to guess what he gave me. . .Vmc Demonstration? Nope. Steep Turns? Nope. A ground reference maneuver? Nope.
Unusual Attitudes.
Provided a ground lesson over unusual attitudes, proper recognition and recovery techniques. Partial panel unusual attitude recovery, etc.
Area of Operation 5: Preflight Procedures
Task B: Cockpit Management
Pretty simple stuff here, of course have a lesson plan hitting the bullet points and you'll do fine. A clean cockpit is a safe cockpit, as well as a efficient.
And that was it for the oral. 2.5 hours - done. Break for lunch.
Flight
This particular examiner was familiar with the airplane and requested that he taxi and do the run-up. No problem with that on my end.
We finally get done with our run-up and it's time to go. I'm told to perform a normal / crosswind takeoff. . .I applied crosswind correction during the initial roll, and decreased it as needed as there really was no crosswind. Departed the pattern and on the way out I explained to him climbs (Fundamentals of Flight Area of Operation). Once we got above the SCT035 layer, we went right into steep turns. Explaining adverse yaw, overbanking tendency. Completed those, asked if he wanted to give it a try - he declined but said thanks. From steep turns we went into a power off stall. Explained the situations that you would see such a thing (approach and landing), finished that up then performed a Vmc demo, explaining how to recover (reducing power, regaining directional control, increasing power pitch for Vyse).
After the Vmc demonstration we went into the Unusual attitude flight lesson. Make sure you briefed positive exchange of controls on the ground. We refreshed what I had taught on the ground, questioned him on how to recover from a nose high and nose low unusual attitude and then I had him put his head down. Put the plane first into a nose high, low airspeed - he recovered correctly. I asked him what unusual attitude was that - answered correctly. Next did a nose low, high airspeed, he also recovered correctly.
After that he said "we're going to take a break in the practical, and I'm going to show you something." Fine by me. He showed me a technique that was widely used in the Air Force, and is something the FAA is trying to educate instructors on. In a nose high, low airspeed situation, continuing to roll the aircraft towards a 55-60* bank during the recovery will allow airspeed to increase and as the nose reaches the horizon you arrest any descent and roll wings level and then increase your power. It was interesting to see him perform this type of set up, but it's really not something that we in the training environment put our general aviation multi engine aircraft into.
But - nevertheless, no big deal. We discussed this situation more on the ground and then we both reached the conclusion that it's good training, but it's best to follow the AFH explanation until it is updated with anything new.
After the unusual attitude I took the airplane back and continued the practical. I performed an engine shutdown, and with his help, followed through the engine restart procedure. No big deal.
We started heading back to the airport, performed a normal approach until he told me "Elephant on the runway." I executed the Go Around, explaining the process. (Power - Flaps - Gear ... etc).
Next pattern was a single engine approach and landing. I explained the safe approach of maintaining more power, and essentially said you don't ever want to have to try a SE go around in a light twin. The odds are against you, so you are essentially committed to the landing once you lose an engine. Even more so once you put your gear down.
We landed, cleared the runway, and I asked what next (cause I didn't really have much of a plan of attack and was really expecting another takeoff and landing). Nope, we were done. He told me "Just so you're not wondering, you passed and congratulations."
I felt pretty good about the whole experience. I've realized that by showing a high confidence attitude, you'll do just fine. Of course though, you need to have the knowledge. But if you show any signs of weakness, you will gradually begin losing your chance of completing the practical exam successfully.
I was told later by the examiner that "It's tough sometimes with a marginal candidate. You really have to fine something to pass them on, or pink slip them. But with a well prepared candidate, with a great attitude, it's easy for us to see that they actually "Get it" and it makes it much easier on us because we can actually enjoy flying with them (you)."
If you have any questions, please ask through PM or here.
Had a few drinks tonight already. hehe 