“ii” Checkride

[Skymac]

Just passed my “Double-I” checkride this week. I had taken the written 2 years ago this month but life got in the way and I didn’t have time to get around to taking a practical ride.

My word of advice, if you’re wanting to add that next rating, just buckle up and knock it out of the way. I decided in November that I was not going to take that written again for no good reason so I called a DPE, scheduled a last minute ride on a first available basis, waiting on a hopeful cancellation as their schedules were already booked into 2020. Started prepping in the Instrument Procedures Handbook and got the lucky phone call 9 days later saying there was an opening! The day of the checkride the wind was 18G30 and ceilings around 4,000.... 6 Hours later, I had that temporary certificate in hand! Knocked out the MEI ride in roughly the same way back in October. It’s satisfying to get those things behind you instead of just letting them linger around. It didn’t take months of studying, or hours a day, just some attention for about an hour a day after work and a few hours of brush up flying. After 7 checkrides now, they are no big deal.

Walk into the ride and talk to your passion, let the love of aviation shine through and you will make it a breeze. Even when you have a stumble, if you’re relaxed and confident, you can find the answers and the examiners pickup on it fast! Being a CFI myself and having students go into checkrides, I find the fear that many folks have on failing first time is negated with the right attitude. DPE’s and examiners are not looking to fail you, they want you to pass as much as you do.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Congrats!

Hope you knocked the NDB approach out of the park in that wind!

 

[luvflyin]

Just passed my “Double-I” checkride this week. I had taken the written 2 years ago this month but life got in the way and I didn’t have time to get around to taking a practical ride.

My word of advice, if you’re wanting to add that next rating, just buckle up and knock it out of the way. I decided in November that I was not going to take that written again for no good reason so I called a DPE, scheduled a last minute ride on a first available basis, waiting on a hopeful cancellation as their schedules were already booked into 2020. Started prepping in the Instrument Procedures Handbook and got the lucky phone call 9 days later saying there was an opening! The day of the checkride the wind was 18G30 and ceilings around 4,000.... 6 Hours later, I had that temporary certificate in hand! Knocked out the MEI ride in roughly the same way back in October. It’s satisfying to get those things behind you instead of just letting them linger around. It didn’t take months of studying, or hours a day, just some attention for about an hour a day after work and a few hours of brush up flying. After 7 checkrides now, they are no big deal.

Walk into the ride and talk to your passion, let the love of aviation shine through and you will make it a breeze. Even when you have a stumble, if you’re relaxed and confident, you can find the answers and the examiners pickup on it fast! Being a CFI myself and having students go into checkrides, I find the fear that many folks have on failing first time is negated with the right attitude. DPE’s and examiners are not looking to fail you, they want you to pass as much as you do.

Congratulations. Ya gonna use it? Double I's are in demand.

 

[IK04]

That's exactly how I did my airplane ATP and MEI!

I drove up to Dallas, checked into a hotel, studied for a one full day and flew a couple of flights for the insurance requirements.

Spent the weekend prepping and took the ride on Monday, the fourth of July.

Since I now had a good relationship with the DPE, he suggested I come back in a week and knock out the MEI. I did and it was fun!

 

[Skymac]

It’s all about relationship building. I always said I didn’t want to fly for the airlines for a living because I enjoy the passion of it so much but I’ve finally decided to maybe entertain other flying jobs besides just part time instructing. I’m 32 now and have been around flying since I was a kiddo. 1200 hours now and about 200 multi, the temptations are too good. I’ve had some contract gigs and just enjoyed flying here in there for random side work and it’s really paid off. Looking for a career change as IT work getting just too monotonous. I’ll teach some IFR on the side for sure.

 

[BryanAV8R]

I've found in my instructional career (which is part time due to real life (tm)) that double I (and Commercial) instruction is the most fun. The pilot next to you knows (or should) how to fly, now you can concentrate on the fine tuning, precise aircraft control (above and beyond what was needed for the PVT), real airspace awareness, and all the things which really really make flying fun. Not that these things shouldn't be part of the initial certification training, but, now you're opening up for the student a real operational world that can increase their utility of the skills they've worked to gain.

That, and seeing someone progress from +/- PVT standard deviation to having to tap on the altimeter to make sure it's not frozen in place, and watching them nail headings, altitudes, controlled descents, and following a precision approach with the needles hardly wiggling...it's a good feeling.