n57flyguy
Well-Known Member
Hi all, it has taken me a few days to calm down and gather my thoughts about the oral and checkride I took last Friday. Lets begin...
Oral:
I showed up early and double checked the weather, my flight plan, and got the airplane ready. My CFI soon showed up along with a few other of my airport buddies and really helped relax me with humor.
Once everything was taken care of with IACRA, we went to the airport office to begin the oral. It started with aircraft log books. What are the four things that I need to know the aircraft has been checked for? lets see, 100 hour inspection, annual inspection, and ELT. I didn't know the forth item, and he told me it was the transponder. I knew it had to be checked every two years though when he asked. Whats the difference between the annual and the 100 inspection? I told him that an IA has to perform the annual. Correct. So, I don't see a 100 hour inspection on the airframe, can we still fly it? No not if it is not in the logbook. Well, I was partially correct, but I didn't know that the current annual overrides the 100 hour if they were done on the same date.
Not the greatest way to start but he was easy on me and taught me some things I didn't know, and why I should know them as a PP.
My flight plan was next, which I explained to him and why I used the checkpoints I did and where I cross referenced them to. He was impressed with the flight plan and explained to me the importance of checkpoints that jump out to me and not to used smaller airports and such (which was one of my checkpoints, but I was using a major highway next to it to).
Next was basically sectionals. How would you make a flight from here to Wings Field? I explained how I would go around PHL Class Bravo and what checkpoints I was used along the way. I told him I would fly over ILG, talk to them first even though I wasn't in their airspace, but so they know where I am. Then I would try to get flight following from PHL Approach. whats the Freq? 119.75. Okay, and why wouldn't you just use his VOR so you know where you are? I started to explain why, that because I was using pilotage I would use a town as a point to turn, but he asked me why I just wouldn't use the VOR to know exactly where I am. I agreed, but he asked me how I as a private pilot would do it...and I told him what I would do.
He then asks why I just wouldn't go through Class B, I told him because they would probably busy and not want to deal with me. What else would you need? Clearance, the equipment I would need. He acted like an approach controller and I read back what he said, told him what it meant and told him that I couldnt enter the Class B because I didn't get a clearance from him and only squawked and ident (which he gave me a squawk that I misread twice, he wasn't happy about that...hey I was nervous lol).
He asked me about Class C airspace, which was all good, Class D, which was all good. I screwed up on flying over Class C, telling him I didn't need a transponder legally because it was uncontrolled class E, I was wrong on that. He asked me what I wanted to if i were to go through Class C, I told him that I would contact approach, ask for transition, he acted like a controller, same thing as Class B, and that was all good.
He tried to mind screw me with Class E and G but I didn't let him and stuck with what I knew and said, didn't second guess my knowledge. He asked me the difference, I told him WX mins for VFR pilots and explained those to him after he asked (I don't even remember what I said I was starting to sweat it, 3 152's flying stood out though lol).
Here is where I got railed, and he got agitated with me. It was about reading sectional charts and airport information. I simply did not know what a few symbols were such as lighting and runway length. I always used to AFD to get that information anyway. I told him I do not know, but I know where to find it, so he told me to find it, so I did and told him. He then asked me something else about it, told him I do not know but will look again. He got really upset with this, even walked out of the office to go to the bathroom and smoke a cig. I really had thought I had just failed, but used to those few minutes of shock to recover from the mind screw and read over the chart legend. He started asking me more questions about different special use airspace, which I knew.
Next was airspeeds, I knew them cold and what happens to Va when weight increases, what happens to my stall speed, what are the Vs speeds. Again, tried to mess with my head on that, but I was confident on my speeds. then was fuel, which I knew cold, so I made sure I was firmer on my answers (because he was starting to get to me).
Overall, he wasn't impressed with my knowledge of sectional chart information. He explained to me that I need to know these things because of the environment I'm in.
I really had thought I wasn't going anywhere fast, but he told me we would fly and go from there.
What a reader would not get from this is how is attitude was and demeanor, which I thought was piss poor. It really made me feel like crap about myself and everything I worked for. It was very condescending when he would tell me "duh" for things I had to think about then answered correctly. Also it seems like he had an I'm always right way of thinking, which I can see from a DE, but for the above reasons made it rough.
Flight Test:
We set out to the airplane and I began the preflight. I did "MY" normal flow and felt it was good. Did a quick W&B check before we got in, we were in limits so I got in and gave him a passenger briefing and seat belt briefing (which pissed me off how he wasn't really listening to me, and had to double check and restate everything I said. I felt as acting PIC, that was my legal responsibility, and I don't need an attitude for doing my responsibility). None the less, I was nervous. I started, taxied, and did my runup without a hitch, he asked very few questions and I knew them. As I was taxiing for departure he slammed on the breaks as I was creeping on the hold short line ( I was about 10 feet back and I usually stop about where I can still see the line over the cowling, fair enough though). I took off, nervous as hell. my right leg was shaking and my hands were sweating. My first mistake was when I turned off course about 7 degrees and didn't realize it till my second checkpoint. I corrected, he saw that and then had me divert to an airport. Cool, now I always like to descend before I get in the pattern, I did that and I had misread the sectional and thought I was at the wrong airport, so I applying full power and climbed out to make sure of where I was. Well it was the right airport I found and set up to land. By now my heart was beating I was freaking because that probably looked really freaking bad. I set up for downwind, base, final, but I was high and tight, so I went around. My second attempt was much better as I got down fine for my soft field landing. Then a soft field take off where he wanted me to take off with 75 less runway. I told him no and taxied to the full length. The worst part is he was serious, but I didn't care, I've got runway and a shorter airfield, you better be damn sure I'm going to use it!! (PIC thing
)
I made a nice soft field take off, and we climbed back out to the north. Did some clearing turns, power on and power off stalls, then steep turns. Well steep turns didn't go so well, according to him. I had to do about 5 to get it right. Keep in mind I never gained or lost 100 feet either, but keep losing about 70 feet every time. So it was never out of PTS standards, I guess 0 feet was his. I kept telling him, I'm doing another one and didn't let him tell me I wasn't. I finally got it to ten feet, I realized my entry into the turn was what was doing it and that was relying on instruments to much (def a weakness of mine) Yeah I was stressed, nervous, and getting annoyed, but Paul, fly the damn plane! I did that and it met expectations.
I then tracked a radial to MXE under the hood perfectly, and he gave me an usual attitude, which was recovered from fine (wings level, power out, nose up). Then he gave me some BS set up into my home field (I was at 2000, pattern altitude is 1500 and I was a 1 1/2 from downwind) Cool, go with it, turned out to set up for a 45 for downwind, and did just that....he told me oh, I thought we were further out. <---me saying COOOOLLL I kissed the first landing, and made the best damn short field I've ever made after that. We taxied back shutdown and I had seriously thought I had failed. "Park, and well talk after this." Crap I thought, that was bad enough but I'm going to have to do it again with this guy.
We sat down with me CFI and he proceeded to tell me my mistakes and why I shouldn't do them. make sure I turn out dead on course, ID the airport before making judgement, steep turns (what I did wrong) why not to creep the H.S. line, my sectional reading was weak at best, you should def know AF logbooks.
This was coupled by the f word mentioned a few times (not at me, but come on, your not my buddy) and a couple "duhs" mentioned at me. Followed by well I'll write you a ticket but want to to fly with your CFI again to brush up. Oh I'm a PPL now but treat me like a student pilot, cool.
You * I thought. Maybe it is how he teaches but I really felt like crap walking away from that because of his attitude and the way he presented himself to me. It really did take away from the moment. But hey, I'm looking at this as I learned hard from my mistakes, and I'll do my best to make sure I never do them again.
I know I am forgetting a lot, but the exact details aren't really relevant.
Hey, I'm a Private Pilot now
Questions/comments??
Oral:
I showed up early and double checked the weather, my flight plan, and got the airplane ready. My CFI soon showed up along with a few other of my airport buddies and really helped relax me with humor.
Once everything was taken care of with IACRA, we went to the airport office to begin the oral. It started with aircraft log books. What are the four things that I need to know the aircraft has been checked for? lets see, 100 hour inspection, annual inspection, and ELT. I didn't know the forth item, and he told me it was the transponder. I knew it had to be checked every two years though when he asked. Whats the difference between the annual and the 100 inspection? I told him that an IA has to perform the annual. Correct. So, I don't see a 100 hour inspection on the airframe, can we still fly it? No not if it is not in the logbook. Well, I was partially correct, but I didn't know that the current annual overrides the 100 hour if they were done on the same date.
Not the greatest way to start but he was easy on me and taught me some things I didn't know, and why I should know them as a PP.
My flight plan was next, which I explained to him and why I used the checkpoints I did and where I cross referenced them to. He was impressed with the flight plan and explained to me the importance of checkpoints that jump out to me and not to used smaller airports and such (which was one of my checkpoints, but I was using a major highway next to it to).
Next was basically sectionals. How would you make a flight from here to Wings Field? I explained how I would go around PHL Class Bravo and what checkpoints I was used along the way. I told him I would fly over ILG, talk to them first even though I wasn't in their airspace, but so they know where I am. Then I would try to get flight following from PHL Approach. whats the Freq? 119.75. Okay, and why wouldn't you just use his VOR so you know where you are? I started to explain why, that because I was using pilotage I would use a town as a point to turn, but he asked me why I just wouldn't use the VOR to know exactly where I am. I agreed, but he asked me how I as a private pilot would do it...and I told him what I would do.
He then asks why I just wouldn't go through Class B, I told him because they would probably busy and not want to deal with me. What else would you need? Clearance, the equipment I would need. He acted like an approach controller and I read back what he said, told him what it meant and told him that I couldnt enter the Class B because I didn't get a clearance from him and only squawked and ident (which he gave me a squawk that I misread twice, he wasn't happy about that...hey I was nervous lol).
He asked me about Class C airspace, which was all good, Class D, which was all good. I screwed up on flying over Class C, telling him I didn't need a transponder legally because it was uncontrolled class E, I was wrong on that. He asked me what I wanted to if i were to go through Class C, I told him that I would contact approach, ask for transition, he acted like a controller, same thing as Class B, and that was all good.
He tried to mind screw me with Class E and G but I didn't let him and stuck with what I knew and said, didn't second guess my knowledge. He asked me the difference, I told him WX mins for VFR pilots and explained those to him after he asked (I don't even remember what I said I was starting to sweat it, 3 152's flying stood out though lol).
Here is where I got railed, and he got agitated with me. It was about reading sectional charts and airport information. I simply did not know what a few symbols were such as lighting and runway length. I always used to AFD to get that information anyway. I told him I do not know, but I know where to find it, so he told me to find it, so I did and told him. He then asked me something else about it, told him I do not know but will look again. He got really upset with this, even walked out of the office to go to the bathroom and smoke a cig. I really had thought I had just failed, but used to those few minutes of shock to recover from the mind screw and read over the chart legend. He started asking me more questions about different special use airspace, which I knew.
Next was airspeeds, I knew them cold and what happens to Va when weight increases, what happens to my stall speed, what are the Vs speeds. Again, tried to mess with my head on that, but I was confident on my speeds. then was fuel, which I knew cold, so I made sure I was firmer on my answers (because he was starting to get to me).
Overall, he wasn't impressed with my knowledge of sectional chart information. He explained to me that I need to know these things because of the environment I'm in.
I really had thought I wasn't going anywhere fast, but he told me we would fly and go from there.
What a reader would not get from this is how is attitude was and demeanor, which I thought was piss poor. It really made me feel like crap about myself and everything I worked for. It was very condescending when he would tell me "duh" for things I had to think about then answered correctly. Also it seems like he had an I'm always right way of thinking, which I can see from a DE, but for the above reasons made it rough.
Flight Test:
We set out to the airplane and I began the preflight. I did "MY" normal flow and felt it was good. Did a quick W&B check before we got in, we were in limits so I got in and gave him a passenger briefing and seat belt briefing (which pissed me off how he wasn't really listening to me, and had to double check and restate everything I said. I felt as acting PIC, that was my legal responsibility, and I don't need an attitude for doing my responsibility). None the less, I was nervous. I started, taxied, and did my runup without a hitch, he asked very few questions and I knew them. As I was taxiing for departure he slammed on the breaks as I was creeping on the hold short line ( I was about 10 feet back and I usually stop about where I can still see the line over the cowling, fair enough though). I took off, nervous as hell. my right leg was shaking and my hands were sweating. My first mistake was when I turned off course about 7 degrees and didn't realize it till my second checkpoint. I corrected, he saw that and then had me divert to an airport. Cool, now I always like to descend before I get in the pattern, I did that and I had misread the sectional and thought I was at the wrong airport, so I applying full power and climbed out to make sure of where I was. Well it was the right airport I found and set up to land. By now my heart was beating I was freaking because that probably looked really freaking bad. I set up for downwind, base, final, but I was high and tight, so I went around. My second attempt was much better as I got down fine for my soft field landing. Then a soft field take off where he wanted me to take off with 75 less runway. I told him no and taxied to the full length. The worst part is he was serious, but I didn't care, I've got runway and a shorter airfield, you better be damn sure I'm going to use it!! (PIC thing
)I made a nice soft field take off, and we climbed back out to the north. Did some clearing turns, power on and power off stalls, then steep turns. Well steep turns didn't go so well, according to him. I had to do about 5 to get it right. Keep in mind I never gained or lost 100 feet either, but keep losing about 70 feet every time. So it was never out of PTS standards, I guess 0 feet was his
. I kept telling him, I'm doing another one and didn't let him tell me I wasn't. I finally got it to ten feet, I realized my entry into the turn was what was doing it and that was relying on instruments to much (def a weakness of mine) Yeah I was stressed, nervous, and getting annoyed, but Paul, fly the damn plane! I did that and it met expectations. I then tracked a radial to MXE under the hood perfectly, and he gave me an usual attitude, which was recovered from fine (wings level, power out, nose up). Then he gave me some BS set up into my home field (I was at 2000, pattern altitude is 1500 and I was a 1 1/2 from downwind) Cool, go with it, turned out to set up for a 45 for downwind, and did just that....he told me oh, I thought we were further out.
<---me saying COOOOLLL I kissed the first landing, and made the best damn short field I've ever made after that. We taxied back shutdown and I had seriously thought I had failed. "Park, and well talk after this." Crap I thought, that was bad enough but I'm going to have to do it again with this guy.We sat down with me CFI and he proceeded to tell me my mistakes and why I shouldn't do them. make sure I turn out dead on course, ID the airport before making judgement, steep turns (what I did wrong) why not to creep the H.S. line, my sectional reading was weak at best, you should def know AF logbooks.
This was coupled by the f word mentioned a few times (not at me, but come on, your not my buddy) and a couple "duhs" mentioned at me. Followed by well I'll write you a ticket but want to to fly with your CFI again to brush up. Oh I'm a PPL now but treat me like a student pilot, cool.
You * I thought. Maybe it is how he teaches but I really felt like crap walking away from that because of his attitude and the way he presented himself to me. It really did take away from the moment. But hey, I'm looking at this as I learned hard from my mistakes, and I'll do my best to make sure I never do them again.
I know I am forgetting a lot, but the exact details aren't really relevant.
Hey, I'm a Private Pilot now
Questions/comments??
