cessna2351
Well-Known Member
Its amazing how one little inch of plastic can screw you over......
Today was scheduled to be my ppl checkride. Last night I met my examiner (who btw is good friends with my instructor) at the Akron Canton Airport for my oral. He even gave me a discount on his fee by knocking 250 bucks down to 225, oh lucky me. I did fine on the oral and was looking foward to the practical test today and finally getting my ppl.
Before I go on, I should say that my plane had just arrived back from Younstown because its 100 hour inspection on Wednesday was due....my flight school decided to let me know about this Tuesday, the day before.
Also, I fly a 152 and my flight school only has one 152.
So my checkride was scheduled for 2pm today at Lost Nation Airport, about 8 miles or so from where I'm based. My instructor and I met at 10am to do a quick review flight of all the manuevers. After departing we notice that the Oil Tempature gauge was malfunctioning. The needle was flapping all over the place and after a few minutes it deflected to the side of it's littl window and just died, not giving any indicated temp. It just died.
The problem is that a working Oil Tempature gauge is required for a plane to be considered airworthy (check 91.205 if you dont believe me). Upon returning to our base I call the examiner and tell him our problem. He responds by saying if I were to fly down to LNN and expecting him to get in the plane, he would have failed me right then and there.
He wanted me to drive to LNN, do a flight in a 172 with an instructor there, get a solo endorsement in a 172, then do our checkride that evening. This guy must think I'm made of money or something /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif.
The Big problem. This examiner comes up from Florida (where he resides) every other week or so to give checkrides. He leaves Monday morning and is booked solid until then. He won't be returning until Labor Day weekend. Unfortunatly I will have left for college by then (and I'm signed up for a flight class which assumes I have a PPL going in).
What I think happened is that during the 100 hour inspection, the mechanic either forgot to ground the connection to the gauge, or crossed some wires or who the heck knows. But the gauge was working perfectly earlier this week and know it doesn't. Whats worse is that we are positive that the problem is the gauge itself and not the oil tempature, so nothing in the engine is malfunctioning.
Talk about ironic. I thought an inspection was supposed to CHECK for problems, not create them.
So now my instructor and I are desperatly trying to find an examiner in the Cleveland Area who will be able to give me a checkride on such short notice. I leave for school this weekend.
One stupid little piece of plastic.......
Mike McM
Today was scheduled to be my ppl checkride. Last night I met my examiner (who btw is good friends with my instructor) at the Akron Canton Airport for my oral. He even gave me a discount on his fee by knocking 250 bucks down to 225, oh lucky me. I did fine on the oral and was looking foward to the practical test today and finally getting my ppl.
Before I go on, I should say that my plane had just arrived back from Younstown because its 100 hour inspection on Wednesday was due....my flight school decided to let me know about this Tuesday, the day before.
Also, I fly a 152 and my flight school only has one 152.
So my checkride was scheduled for 2pm today at Lost Nation Airport, about 8 miles or so from where I'm based. My instructor and I met at 10am to do a quick review flight of all the manuevers. After departing we notice that the Oil Tempature gauge was malfunctioning. The needle was flapping all over the place and after a few minutes it deflected to the side of it's littl window and just died, not giving any indicated temp. It just died.
The problem is that a working Oil Tempature gauge is required for a plane to be considered airworthy (check 91.205 if you dont believe me). Upon returning to our base I call the examiner and tell him our problem. He responds by saying if I were to fly down to LNN and expecting him to get in the plane, he would have failed me right then and there.
He wanted me to drive to LNN, do a flight in a 172 with an instructor there, get a solo endorsement in a 172, then do our checkride that evening. This guy must think I'm made of money or something /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif.
The Big problem. This examiner comes up from Florida (where he resides) every other week or so to give checkrides. He leaves Monday morning and is booked solid until then. He won't be returning until Labor Day weekend. Unfortunatly I will have left for college by then (and I'm signed up for a flight class which assumes I have a PPL going in).
What I think happened is that during the 100 hour inspection, the mechanic either forgot to ground the connection to the gauge, or crossed some wires or who the heck knows. But the gauge was working perfectly earlier this week and know it doesn't. Whats worse is that we are positive that the problem is the gauge itself and not the oil tempature, so nothing in the engine is malfunctioning.
Talk about ironic. I thought an inspection was supposed to CHECK for problems, not create them.
So now my instructor and I are desperatly trying to find an examiner in the Cleveland Area who will be able to give me a checkride on such short notice. I leave for school this weekend.
One stupid little piece of plastic.......
Mike McM
