Commercial Checkride Scheduled; Any tips?

Alchemy

Well-Known Member
So I finally got my CFI to schedule my Single Engine Commercial Checkride for next monday, the 12th of may. I'll be using a 1978 cessna 182RG. I've been studying the ASA Oral Exam Guide quite a bit and I plan on hitting it even harder over the next week. I also occasionally browse over the "Airplane Flying Handbook" to make sure I can properly explain all the maneuvers.

The Airwork is going well. Soft and Short Field Take offs and Landings are pretty much down pat. I also feel pretty confident about Lazy Eights, Chandelles, Eights on Pylons, Steep Spiraling Descents, Eights on Pylons, 180 degree power off approaches, Power on and Off Stalls, and Steep Turns. For the past two weeks I've been able to get them all within PTS tolerances on the first try. I really feel like I can get it done, but I'm being cautious to avoid overconfidence. I'm very concerned about busting this checkride do the wide variety of maneuvers applicants are expected to preform and the wide range of topics they're expected to know for the oral. One area I feel I need to brush up on are emergency procedures, I always try and have all the emergency checklists memorized before going into a practical. I'm not sure if that's overkill or just prudence, since I almost always have the checklists on my lap anyway.

So do any of you have an specific topics, especially concerning commercial regulations that might be asked on the oral but not covered in the OEG? What was your experience on the CPL ckrd? Anything unexpected or unusual? Any comments or advice are appreciated, thanks!
 
Hey,
Wow, i'm almost in the same boat as you. I have my CFI checkride scheduled for the 14th, next wednesday.
As far as how to get ready for the commercial, I just studied the ASA oral prep guide and that prepared me well for the oral. It sounds like you
are well prepared. Just relax and go over the maneuvers in your mind such as the different checkpoints in a lazy 8:
45 degree point, 15 degrees bank max pitch up
90 degree point, 30 degrees bank level pitch
135 degree point, 15 degrees bank max pitch down
180 degree point, roll out on heading and altitude....etc...

As far as emergency procedures I would develop a flow starting at the fuel selector and running up to the prop/throttle/mixture
control and then to the left to the mags, etc.....
I don't think it's necessary to memorize all of the emergency procedures as long as you have a logical flow checklist.
Hope this provided at least a glimmer of help...
Good luck, you'll be a commercial pilot next week!!!!
 
Yeah, I think I've got the Lazy Eights down pretty well. I'm actually more worried about steep turns than those. I have trouble keeping the altitude within 50 ft, which is what my CFI makes me shoot for even though the PTS tolerance is 100 ft. Hopefully they won't be a problem, I'll be sure and hit those on my next few flights this week.

And yeah, the L shaped flow method works pretty well in the cessnas.....off the top of my head, fuel selector-both, mixture-rich, prop-forward, throttle-open, carb heat-on, ignition-on, check magnetos, primer-in and locked. Engine failure cklsts are pretty straightforward, but I'll probably brush up in Fire, Electrical Malfunction, and Gear Malfunction checklists just in case he asks be about one of those.

PS: ON the steep spirals do you guys do it with flaps up or down? I've been doing them with flaps up and gear down, 60 degrees of bank, and best glide.
 
Steep spirals....I do them with gear down, flaps up. In a real life scenerio you would keep the flaps up until about to land.
By keeping the flaps up you increase glide distance.
As for the steep turns, try to get a mental picture of the attitude and keep that picture throughout the maneuvar. If you start
to decend immediately decrease the bank angle slightly and add back pressure. If you start to gain altitude immediately
increase bank angle and less back pressure.
I'm sure you've heard all this before. Good luck and let us know how it goes......
 
Thanks for the help braidkid! I'm still getting a feel for the right amount of back pressure.....usually what happens is when I first roll into the turn I inadvertantly start a slight climb, so I slowly release a bit of back pressure which turns out to be too much, from there it's kind of back and forth between miniature climbs and descents but it's still within the 100 ft PTS. It's just a matter of concentration I suppose. I'll be sure and let you guys know how it goes. Keeping my fingers crossed for good wx on the 12th.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you start
to decend immediately decrease the bank angle slightly and add back pressure. If you start to gain altitude immediately
increase bank angle and less back pressure.


[/ QUOTE ]

Just a word of caution: some examiners don't like this method. It works, I've used it, but I don't teach it.

What I find works best is to get established and stabilized as quickly and smoothly as possible.

I've had students that tend to roll in slowly and sluggishly and end up chasing the altimeter all the way around the turn.

Look left, roll left, add power, get the picture, and hold it. At the 360 point- roll out, reduce power, look right, roll right, add power, get the picture, and hold it.

And don't forget to keep it coordinated. Seems like all of my students disregard the rudder in this maneuver...anyone else see this a lot?
 
On the steeps I went up with an instructor buddy of mine and he gave some great advice: find the control position that keeps the plane at altitude and on bank angle and HOLD IT THERE!!!!!

It sounds like common sense, but I would keep playing around with the controls, overcontrolling for everything. The idea is to make tiny corrections, which I now do by resting my arm on the arm rest to keep a position refrence for the yoke.

Good luck (not that ya need it); you'll do great.
 
I would be carefull about the 15 degrees pitch up an 15 degrees pitch down on the lazy 8's. I know that everyone has there own methods of teaching/performing this manuevre but at FSI the standard for an arrow is approximently 10 degrees max pitch up and 4 degrees max pitch down. Remember there is a difference between the pitch attitude/angle of attack/flight path. You are trying to make symetrical climbing and descending 180 degree turns.
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Hmmm, yeah I don't always go all the way up to 15 degrees up/down in the 182 RG. Probably closer to 10 or 12 degrees, I'm to the point where I do the maneuver mostly by "feel". I also watch the Altimeter and try to design it so I don't climb more than 200 ft.
 
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I would be carefull about the 15 degrees pitch up an 15 degrees pitch down on the lazy 8's.

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Huh? If you're refering to my post I was quoting the Airplane Flying Handbook. I was talking about 15 degrees of bank, not
pitch. There is no stipulation as to the pitch angle only that it is at its max up and max down.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I also watch the Altimeter and try to design it so I don't climb more than 200 ft.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't stress about how much altitude you gain. I usually gain at least 400 feet. I think if you're only gaining 200 ft. during
the climb then you're not getting enough pitch up.
 
Sorry, I misread your post the first time.

It actually is a common error I have seen from students, well I pitch up approxiamently 10 degrees so I should pitch 10 down also.....

But your right about the bank angles.
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I went out today and paid special attention to obtaining proper pitch on my lazy eights. I made sure I got within 10 knots of Vs1 at the maximum pitch position, and sure enough I was gaining closer to 400 ft of altitude. A minor detail I suppose, but still an improvement. Steep Turns were looking pretty good. Had some trouble maintaing heading today on the stalls.....as you might know the 182RG needs mad right rudder when you're slow and at high angles of attack. Today it was really hazy (vis 5 sm) so the horizon was just a huge blur. The left wing dropped more than it should've since I couldn't really much outside reference to stay straight and level; I guess I should be able to do these just by looking at the attitude indicator since I'm instrument rated and all.

One problem with my steep spirals is I lose track of how many rotations I've done. I'm too busy concentrating on applying wind drift correction and maintaing 75 knots to notice every time the DG spins around. For practical purposes, I guess this really doesn't matter because you're just concerned with rolling out at the proper altitude and into the wind for landing, but I need to pay attention to that in case he just asks me to do 3 360's. Ahhh well, still three more flights to practice.
 
[quoteOne problem with my steep spirals is I lose track of how many rotations I've done. I'm too busy concentrating on applying wind drift correction and maintaing 75 knots to notice every time the DG spins around.

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad it's working out better for ya.
As for the steep spirals, don't forget to TRIM the aircraft for 75 knts. You'll reduce your workload dramatically if you keep the aircraft trimmed
and will be better able to handle other distractions.
 
..braidkid's advice is good. I tell my students the same thing, especially in the 182 RG. as far as counting the number of 360's, how about using a reference point OUTSIDE the airplane. With my students, I put th soapdish to the AI and DG for a lot of the maneuvers to get their heads out the window. I cover the airspeed indicator for chandelles and that works wonders too..

I love covering these instruments because it seems that a lot of comm students are fresh from their instrument trianing (as was I) and need to get their heads back out the window
smile.gif
:):)
 
[ QUOTE ]
I love covering these instruments because it seems that a lot of comm students are fresh from their instrument trianing (as was I) and need to get their heads back out the window
smile.gif
:)

[/ QUOTE ]

I flew my first Comm training flight yesterday (just finished IR), I actually felt guilty when I looked outside!
grin.gif
 
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