Commercial ME Checkride

K

kdwilkes

New Member
Here are my Commercial ME checkride complaints:

1. I arrived at my first checkpoint (planned an ETE of 4 mins.) at 4:12 and was asked to recompute my groundspeed. I planned a GS of 167 knots, but the check pilot said it was inaccurate b/c the GPS read 164.

2. On the diversion, I turned to an initial heading eyeballed on the chart and came up with 120 degrees. I then began to use the plotter for a more precise heading and the checkpilot said I couldn't use it. She said the eyeball was inaccurate b/c the GPS said direct was 110 degrees.

3. On the emergency checklist for an engine out in the Seminole, Piper leaves out checking the fuel selector and carb heat for the troubleshoot. I did the items on the checklist and added checking the fuel selector and the carb heat. Check pilot deducted points saying I am not allowed to check those items that are not published on the checklist.

4. Before an emergency descent, I was taught to perform the descent check. On the checkride when I did this, the check pilot said this was wrong because there is no time to do the descent check during a real emergency.

Those are my gripes for the night! In any case, I passed the checkride.
 
1. You were in the ballpark, no problem.

2. Screw the GPS -- you could have had satellite ephimerous error and it could have been inaccurate. After the initial turn, crosschecked with pilotage and deadreckoning, you could have corrected your initial course.

3. Check it anyway. Besides your check pilot is screwed up. Fly the aircraft FIRST and then use the checklist. You can feel free to check any situation-related item OFF the checklist at any time because you're PIC. For example, at Delta, in the sim, we put the V2+20 speed into the standby FREQ selector on the ADF in case we have an engine failure, then we have a quick reference as to the speed during a potential engine failure. The PTS and the checklist say nothign about it, but it sure helps when things get tight during a manuever. Check pilots and the FAA have NO problem with that whatsoever.

4. Do the descent check anyway during a single engine descent. We do it in the MD-88/90 as well should you in the Seminole. If there's "not enough time", make it anyway because the one thing you miss as part of the checklist may be the one thing that kills you.

Congrats on passing the checkride!
 
For 1-3 I'll just say that if that is all she could find to complain about, then you did pretty well. 12 seconds/3 knots and ten degrees is well within PTS and you can't go wrong by checking stuff left off the checklist. The checklist is a minimum standard. In an emergency, you have to think outside the box (a cliche that is almost as annoying as "talk to the hand," but I digress).

For #4, FSI does teach that the descent check is not required for an emergency descent. The intent is that the pilot should be looking out the window since the emergency descent is at a steep pitch and bank. There will be time to do the descent check later. Since this is an FSI thing and not a PTS thing though, it should not affect the outcome of the checkride. Your IP will just get a "stan issue" call to see Mr. Jhagroo.

Congratulations!
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