Commercial Checkride Scheduled for Next Week (Tenitive)

With all these updates you'd figure I'd be done by now! After a call with the examiner and seeing that the weather was great this morning and against the forecast we kept the appointment for tomorrow. At the very least if the weather is bad I will do the oral portion and the flight Sunday. So after tomorrow hopefully I'll be that much closer. I feel pretty good about the topics he's asked in the past as that's what I've focused on so I'll just do a brush up tonight.
 
Having had my last ride get delayed twice I totally understand how frustrating it is to sit waiting for it to be done... stick with it, one of these days it'll come together and you'll be done with it. Just remember to brush up on things each day and if you get the chance to fly for even 20-30 minutes go do it, to keep the confidence up.
 
rframe said:
Having had my last ride get delayed twice I totally understand how frustrating it is to sit waiting for it to be done... stick with it, one of these days it'll come together and you'll be done with it. Just remember to brush up on things each day and if you get the chance to fly for even 20-30 minutes go do it, to keep the confidence up.
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It looks like today will be a go. Just waiting for the low level of clouds to burn off and I'll go up and practice then head over. Sitting in the club by myself has my nerves at a record high. My instructor had to cut out early to go out of town but we went over some last minute stuff and I feel good for the oral. Flight we'll see about.
 
So here's what I can remember. The oral lasted no longer than 30-40 mins. I was spitting out answers left and right. He asked about commercial privledges, show me the airplane is airworthy, currency, lost comm, light guns, inop equipment, all aeromedical factors. Asked to describe the landing gear, prop, powerplant (I messed that one up) electrical, fuel systems. He then went heavily into the chart and asked about symbols, airspaces, special use airspace, cloud clearance for all. He looked over my X-C and asked why I was at 3500 for part of it then 4500 and asked at what altitude do these altitudes start to take place at (3000 MSL). Asked about metars, area forecasts, TAFs. Asked me to read a taf and I completely forgot about the winds light and variable and over 100 knots and the strange format of them. Drew a picture of a taxiway hold line and asked which side the plane was on (accidently switched that...he asked me to rethink it so I looked at the FAR and found I got it backwards...he seemed shocked but we carried on). Asked about the EFAS and how to open and close VFR flightplans. Asked what the significance of E to the surface is (can get special VFR). Emergency procedures like extending gear, open door, lost engine on takeoff. Oxygen requirements, alcohol, etc. That's all I can remember. Nailed almost everything and he said if he would grade it he would give me a 95%.

The flight was no surprises. People said he didn't say anything at all during the flight except what he wanted you do to but he worked radios for me most of the time, told me headings to avoid the clouds and where to get back to the airport. He was really laid back. Did a normal takeoff and a few mins later asked where we were on the chart and said to divert to Orcas Island (KORS). Asked for an ETA and distance and I just used the GPS. We then did slowflight as well as steep turns. The heading indicator stuck during steep turns but I was using an outside reference so it wasn't a big deal. I was probably off on the heading but he didn't seem to care. Then a climbing turning stall clean and a dirty stall. One chandelle to the right and then we descended down for 8s on. He asked how we got pivitol altiude and I told him GS^2/15 for MPH and he was pleased. Did one loop in 8s on then he said I could exit the maneuver and we could go back to BLI for landings. No steep spirals or lazy 8s which was amazing cause I was worried the most about those and I practiced them 5 times on the way and didn't have them down that well. Back in the pattern we did a short field stop and go. Then we did a soft field straight into a takeoff. I greased the landing. One more time around he had me ask for a short approach to the option so I knew an engine failure with a go around was coming. Did that then asked for short approach full stop. I came in high and fast and got the plane down not so smoothly but it was barely within the 200 feet. He shook my hand once we taxied in and said the flight was great as well and that I had very good control of the plane. Overall a great ride. Wasn't nervous at all unlike my instrument ride where I'm pretty sure I was hyperventilating. Glad to be done!
 
Interesting checkride. Nice and short by the sound of it. Surprised he let you use the GPS for the diversion. Did he have you do any dead reckoning?
 
It was about 1.3. He asked where I was on the sectional and I guess he counted that. But it was short and I appreciated that. Using the gps was nice but if he wanted to I could've just used the old fashioned way.
 
Also I should mention that our space for maneuvers was very limited from clouds and he guided me around them a lot which was nice.
 
That's great he helped you. Definitely takes the edge off of the checkride! Now get off here and go get paid for flying :)
 
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