Training has stalled. Advice sought. What would you do in my position?

Pinecone said:
Primary in a TW isa very good thing. But you have to convince the students.
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I love the idea, learning to fly TW improves skills and makes better pilots. But most student pilots may not want to do this, if they think it makes the training "harder" and they may not ever fly a TW aircraft again. The higher insurance rates reflect the risk of damage, whether veering off-runway or ground loops.

midlifeflyer said:
Does my friend’s flight from North Carolina to Alaska in an IFR-equipped Husky count?
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darthanubis said:
That's awesome.
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Indeed. When I flew my 172 to Alaska a few years ago, after we landed at Whitehorse and went to the fuel pumps, a Piper Cub landed and taxied over. He came from Texas and was on his way to Kodiak, with a whisky compass and a hand-held radio, flying IFR "I follow roads/rivers/railroads" getting passed by cars on the highway. We grabbed a ride together into town and over dinner he shared some great stories about the trip.
 
darthanubis said:
Well, my IRA checkride was cancelled by a DPE once, never to hear from him again, he's still doing rides. I found another DPE myself, and the last two dates have been rescheduled for wx. I was ready to take my checkride in March! My next date for my check ride is first week of July!

I haven't started CPL timebuilding, because I have no one to split the cost of the plane with, as the rental cost is $200/hr wet. I only have 95hrs. A PPL student has his upcoming ride mid June. If he passess, I'm helping to make sure he does. He is willing to time build at 5hrs/day, for our 150 towards CPL.

I'm considering getting my tail wheel endorsement, buying a tailwheel plane, and hopefully work with the school to leaseback, and enable the school to branch into selling tailwheel endorsements. Once I get my CFII, I could do the endorsements myself if the school isn't interested.

My only issue with a tailwheel plane, is that most don't appear equipped for XCs, even if they are IFR capable. How comfortable, noise etc, are they for XC. I ask considering satisfying 61.129.

If I or me and my copilot purchase a plane, I'd like for it to be useful, hence the leaseback. On the high side I think maybe $170k, but I'd rather it be a lot lower than that. That would be financed. I think between me and the other guy, we could do $60k outright.
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Why did the DPE cancel the checkride?
I had to cancel my instrument checkride 2 maybe 3 times because of weather.
It was up to me whether I canceled or not.
The DPE commended me for the cancellations when I finally did take the checkride as she said it showed good judgement on my part.

My CFII signed me off for the checkride in Aug and I didn't take it until right before Xmas. After each cancellation it was another month or so until I could get back on her schedule.

I had to go fly with my CFII at least 2 more times so he could keep my sign off current.

I just dealt with it, all part of flight training.

I started my instrument training in a school plane and finished in my plane that I bought during training and finished at a different flight school. Took me about 14 months to get my instrument rating.

The day of my checkride I was able to get into the airport in MVFR conditions and I thought we would fly either way VFR or IFR. She informed me that it had to be VFR to take the flight portion of the checkride and the clouds lifted just enough to go VFR at about lunch time. I passed and made it back to my airport just before it went IFR again that day.
Yea it was kind of a stressful 14 months especially the last 4 months waiting for the checkride but I got it done.
Good luck to you.

PS I forgot to mention that my commercial training has been stalled for like 4 years now. My buddy in the next door hangar started me on it summer of 2020 when he was home a lot because of covid. Since then he has been busying building a new pilot training program for SW airlines, giving checkrides for SW and flying 737s. He is only home 24-36 hrs sometimes weekly and sometimes every 2 weeks. I have been thinking about getting back into it with a different CFII with his permission. Good thing I only fly for fun and are too old to fly for a living.
 
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bentmettle said:
Are you able to safety pilot for anyone where you are?

It has it's uses, although I learned the hard way to not fly with anyone that was just trying to get out of learning with a CFII.
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That's the plan. Looking for a good copilot. We've got some dangerous PPL pilots that don't seem to interested in improving. I'm developing relationships best I can. Waiting for one guy I know who flies well to retake his PPL check ride, and fly 5hrs/day.
 
Gary Ward said:
Why did the DPE cancel the checkride?
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Well, it wasn't because of weather, he just called two days ahead of the ride and cancelled. I asked him about a reschedule, and he said he'd call me back the next day. Never heard from him again. Before that, our email correspondence rubbed me the wrong way. I just hadn't run across a DPE yet who wanted so many redundant forms filled out to bring with me to the ride. I emailed to ask some questions about EFB usage, instead of printing out pages of wx charts, and if he didn't mind the use of FF in my IFR trip planning. He said so long as you know how to use FF and can read a low enroute IFR chart. I said absolutely!

After he cancelled I never heard from him again. I did get a pirep from a student who he passed, and the student said during the ground the DPE was texting his wife the whole time. He wasn't interested much in the flight, passed him along. Inside the FBO, ppl told the student, that the DPE's nickname at the airport was "Darth Vader". I kid you not.

Next I heard, he failed two of our instrument students for unpublished holds that the student didn't ask questions to clarify intent. Rumor has it, he just yelled at the student "What are you doing?!?" and disapproved them. So, I feel like I dodged a bullet with that guy, but I still think I would have passed back in March.

The pirep on my upcoming DPE is positive, and after speaking to him on the phone to reschedule, he sounds normal and fair. The student had to retest with him, but that was the students fail for sure. He was flying the wrong radial on a VOR A approach. I think he was flying the reciprocal, going towards the airport but with the VOR tuned to the back course. He just retested and passed, and the DPE made him intercept the back course and fly it out to a hold, to re-intercept the course. I think he wanted to make sure he got it that time. I'm going to practice that in the simulator at home. I remember doing that uneventfully during my end of course flight.

I appreciate your story. It helps knowing my case isn't special, and it's just the way it goes. I'm still obviously early in my training, having only one other check ride.
 
darthanubis said:
Well, it wasn't because of weather, he just called two days ahead of the ride and cancelled. I asked him about a reschedule, and he said he'd call me back the next day. Never heard from him again. Before that, our email correspondence rubbed me the wrong way. I just hadn't run across a DPE yet who wanted so many redundant forms filled out to bring with me to the ride. I emailed to ask some questions about EFB usage, instead of printing out pages of wx charts, and if he didn't mind the use of FF in my IFR trip planning. He said so long as you know how to use FF and can read a low enroute IFR chart. I said absolutely!

After he cancelled I never heard from him again. I did get a pirep from a student who he passed, and the student said during the ground the DPE was texting his wife the whole time. He wasn't interested much in the flight, passed him along. Inside the FBO, ppl told the student, that the DPE's nickname at the airport was "Darth Vader". I kid you not.

Next I heard, he failed two of our instrument students for unpublished holds that the student didn't ask questions to clarify intent. Rumor has it, he just yelled at the student "What are you doing?!?" and disapproved them. So, I feel like I dodged a bullet with that guy, but I still think I would have passed back in March.

The pirep on my upcoming DPE is positive, and after speaking to him on the phone to reschedule, he sounds normal and fair. The student had to retest with him, but that was the students fail for sure. He was flying the wrong radial on a VOR A approach. I think he was flying the reciprocal, going towards the airport but with the VOR tuned to the back course. He just retested and passed, and the DPE made him intercept the back course and fly it out to a hold, to re-intercept the course. I think he wanted to make sure he got it that time. I'm going to practice that in the simulator at home. I remember doing that uneventfully during my end of course flight.

I appreciate your story. It helps knowing my case isn't special, and it's just the way it goes. I'm still obviously early in my training, having only one other check ride.
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Are you in the San Jose area?
 
Strictly for time building consider an Ercoupe. All metal except the wings and some have metalized wings. You can find a good one for $30,000. They are super easy and fun to fly. You can get an STC for mogas (non eth,)
 
mooneyflyfast said:
Strictly for time building consider an Ercoupe. All metal except the wings and some have metalized wings. You can find a good one for $30,000. They are super easy and fun to fly. You can get an STC for mogas (non eth,)
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I flew Ercoupes years ago. Never found it "fun", awkward is a better description. Many out there are not in the best of condition. Resale will be tough.
 
Fly one and form your own opinions. Your testosterone will not go down because it has no rudder pedals.
 
mooneyflyfast said:
Fly one and form your own opinions. Your testosterone will not go down because it has no rudder pedals.
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I found that my right leg got really tired from pressing on the floor during climb, and my left leg during descent.

But my vast experience in Ercoupes resulted in me being asked to do sales demos…2 of my 2.5 hours of Ercoupe time are demo flights.
 
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