Mike H
Well-Known Member
12/15/10 at KBJC Started off with the IACRA stuff, confirming that I was me and had the requisite PIC time and edorsement for the checkride from my MEI. Oral started with what I need to have to teach in a multi engine airplane after getting the rating. Then some of the features of the PA44 that are unique to it alone. Then V-speeds and a little bit on systems (Why is Vle so much lower for bringing the gear up than for lowering it?) I said it was because of air load on the nose gear putting too much stress on the hydraulic system. The examiner made a call to a friend of his who's an expert on Pipers confirme that I was right (also yielded information that there's likely going to be an AD coming out for wing spar corrosion and carry-through spar corrosion in all Seminoles & Senecas requiring x-ray & eddy current inspections- also that thy're considering an AD for the same thing & same testing for the wing-attach points in all C-182's, but I digress...), We finished up the oral with my prepared lesson on Vmc. The oral portion took about 1-1/2 hours,or maybe a little more.
The flight portion started with a short field take off and departure from the airport to the north. We climbed out to 9500' (4500 AGL) and I did the Vmc Demo. My seat was about a notch too fa back, and I ran ot of leg extension before running out of rudder, but the stall horn chirped, and I recovered as required. Did slow flight, stalls & then had me shut down an engine & re-start it. Steep turns, first to the left, then to the right, and on the right turn, the examiner puled the right throttle to idle 3/4 of the way around. When we headed back to the airport, ATIS had the winds varying from 350 to 011 at 18 with runway 29 in use. Entering the pattern, tower initially cleared us for 29R, but as we turned base, they gave us the secondary tower frequency and said to contact them and expect 29L. Couldn't raise anybody on the other frequency so the examiner called tower on the regular frequency
Us: "We can't get anybody on 123.95"
Tower: "Really? Try them again"
Us: "Still no luck"
Tower: "Try one more time"
This time the same controller we were just talking to answers us on 123.95. " Cleared for the option 29R"
We'd already overshot the turn to final for 29R since we were told to expect 29L, so we're in a 30+ degree bank to get back to 29R. The examiner is not particularly happy with anybody at this point, but we land safely. Then he tells the tower we're making this a full stop.
I thought sure that the fiasco with the tower had turned into a busted checkride for me, but the examiner said he was going to make this a Discontinuance instead, and we'd finish up with the rest of the pattern work on another day when the winds weren't as strong. He had another MEI checkride scheduled for the next day (yesterday) so we arranged to finish my checkride right after that one.
The weather yesterday was COLD, but clear skies and calm winds... but when they went to fly on the early checkride, on takeoff, the airplane developed a problem with either the left engine, or more likely, from the description of the problem, the prop governor. So now the airplane is in maintenance until at least next tuesday. And now there are two of us hoping to finish our checkrides that day.
The flight portion started with a short field take off and departure from the airport to the north. We climbed out to 9500' (4500 AGL) and I did the Vmc Demo. My seat was about a notch too fa back, and I ran ot of leg extension before running out of rudder, but the stall horn chirped, and I recovered as required. Did slow flight, stalls & then had me shut down an engine & re-start it. Steep turns, first to the left, then to the right, and on the right turn, the examiner puled the right throttle to idle 3/4 of the way around. When we headed back to the airport, ATIS had the winds varying from 350 to 011 at 18 with runway 29 in use. Entering the pattern, tower initially cleared us for 29R, but as we turned base, they gave us the secondary tower frequency and said to contact them and expect 29L. Couldn't raise anybody on the other frequency so the examiner called tower on the regular frequency
Us: "We can't get anybody on 123.95"
Tower: "Really? Try them again"
Us: "Still no luck"
Tower: "Try one more time"
This time the same controller we were just talking to answers us on 123.95. " Cleared for the option 29R"
We'd already overshot the turn to final for 29R since we were told to expect 29L, so we're in a 30+ degree bank to get back to 29R. The examiner is not particularly happy with anybody at this point, but we land safely. Then he tells the tower we're making this a full stop.
I thought sure that the fiasco with the tower had turned into a busted checkride for me, but the examiner said he was going to make this a Discontinuance instead, and we'd finish up with the rest of the pattern work on another day when the winds weren't as strong. He had another MEI checkride scheduled for the next day (yesterday) so we arranged to finish my checkride right after that one.
The weather yesterday was COLD, but clear skies and calm winds... but when they went to fly on the early checkride, on takeoff, the airplane developed a problem with either the left engine, or more likely, from the description of the problem, the prop governor. So now the airplane is in maintenance until at least next tuesday. And now there are two of us hoping to finish our checkrides that day.
