Ask me your hardest checkride questions

Vas said:
Why is this wrong?
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AIM 2-3-5a3
When specifically instructed by ATC, “Hold short of Runway XX approach or Runway XX departure area,” the pilot MUST STOP so that no part of the aircraft extends beyond the holding position marking.
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The key being the first phrase... if you're not instructed by ATC to hold there, you don't need to stop. Now, IMO, it's better to ask for clearance you don't need than to neglect to ask for clearance you do, but I'd say "by the book", stopping would be "wrong".
 
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It is daytime, you are departing ACK in a STOL aircraft, 50% of the airfield is 0-0 in fog, the other 50% blue sky. You call the tower and ask for special VFR. Can the tower authorize special VFR? Can they deny special VFR? Do you need to request it at all?
 
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It is daytime, you are departing PCA in a STOL aircraft, 50% of the airfield is 0-0 in fog, the other 50% blue sky. You call the tower and ask for special VFR. Can the tower authorize special VFR? Can they deny special VFR? Do you need to request it at all?
 
dmspilot said:
That's the definition of Vo, operating maneuvering speed.
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Interestingly, the maximum allowable value for Vo is the minimum allowable value for Va, which probably results in them being the same speed fairly frequently.
 
Scott_M said:
Answer: When the compass is dry the compass card will bounce and move like a marble in a paint shaker.
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My answer was that the compass card would be leaning and not move during turns.

The DPE had a sense of humor and the question was supposed to let me know the oral was over and successful.
 
Joseph Matties said:
I'll take an educated guess at this but it looks like it's telling you to stop as this is the approach area for runway 15. Need to be aware of potential wake turbulence and get clearance to cross it?
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You will find this sign when a taxiway goes under an approach path, but not necessarily cross the runway surface. If the aircraft on approach is too low, and you happen to be taxiing a very tall aircraft, there could be a collision. ATC will tell you when you need to hold short of this line.
 
Scott_M said:
Answer: At Va the aircraft wing will stall before exceeding structural limits.
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That's quoted everywhere, and probably by the FAA, but I think it's incredibly misleading. "The design maneuvering speed is a value chosen by the applicant." is all you can count on.
Further, "VA should not be interpreted as a speed that would permit the pilot unrestricted flight-control movement without exceeding airplane structural limits, nor should it be interpreted as a gust penetration speed." And "Only if VA = Vs √n will the airplane stall in a nose-up pitching maneuver at, or near, limit load factor. For airplanes where VA>VS√n, the pilot would have to check the maneuver; otherwise the airplane would exceed the limit load factor."

Or in other words, you can't depend on being below Va to keep from damaging the aircraft. To avoid over-G's to the aircraft, don't over-G the aircraft.

But to pass the test, you probably have to quote the Vo statement for Va. Which still doesn't protect you from damaging the aircraft.
 
Sam Gordon said:
Having a recommended runway didn't surprise me. Recommending the opposing traffic did. I'm guessing there's some obstacle on departure of 31.
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While I don't know specifically for SUN, typically something like that in the book would be for noise abatement. At SUN, there definitely is rising terrain to the north (and in fact the IFR obstacle departure procedure is NA for runway 31). But there is also a town just off the end of runway 31, and if I remember right, it's a ski-resort kinda town. A quick look at Zillow shows numerous multi-million dollar homes in that direction.
 
NorthEast Ohio said:
View attachment 101958
It is daytime, you are departing ACK in a STOL aircraft, 50% of the airfield is 0-0 in fog, the other 50% blue sky. You call the tower and ask for special VFR. Can the tower authorize special VFR? Can they deny special VFR? Do you need to request it at all?
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What is the reported Ground Visibility and Sky Condition? Need to know that before those questions can be answered.
 
NorthEast Ohio said:
View attachment 101959
It is daytime, you are departing PCA in a STOL aircraft, 50% of the airfield is 0-0 in fog, the other 50% blue sky. You call the tower and ask for special VFR. Can the tower authorize special VFR? Can they deny special VFR? Do you need to request it at all?
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SVFR is a non discussion here. There is no Surface Area. You just need to comply with 91.126 and 91.155
 
Joseph Matties said:
Like the title says, ask me your hardest checkride questions. Weather and availability through the holidays has me on a long approach to checkride. Trying to stay sharp and prep for things I haven't thought of or heard before.
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From my PPL checkride 3 years ago this week

What are your personal minimums
Why did you choose the altitudes for your XC
Name all the airspace and requirements (Mins, equipment, etc) on your XC route
Name all the symbols on your XC route
 
What are the 5 P’s of aeronautical decision making?
Replied I didn’t know. DPE said name ONE. I replied that I didn’t need some ridiculous mnemonic to help in my decision making; my having to make life and death decisions quickly everyday in my work, and mnemonics just slow down thought processes IMHO……he was OK with that. And on to the flight portion we went.

DPEs are generally rational people as well.
 
wrbix said:
What are the 5 P’s of aeronautical decision making?
Replied I didn’t know. DPE said name ONE. I replied that I didn’t need some ridiculous mnemonic to help in my decision making; my having to make life and death decisions quickly everyday in my work, and mnemonics just slow down thought processes IMHO……he was OK with that. And on to the flight portion we went.

DPEs are generally rational people as well.
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Prior preparation prevents poor performance. I use this to coach my staff when they come to me or my clients unprepared.
 
kaiser said:
Prior preparation prevents poor performance. I use this to coach my staff when they come to me or my clients unprepared.
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I hate mnemonics, but like phrases. "If you fail to plan, your plan is to fail" is one. I like "if you can't move it, paint it", but that doesn't come up as much in aviation.
 
Albany Tom said:
I hate mnemonics, but like phrases. "If you fail to plan, your plan is to fail" is one. I like "if you can't move it, paint it", but that doesn't come up as much in aviation.
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Years ago I was taught, "Plan your work and work your plan."
 
kaiser said:
Prior preparation prevents poor performance. I use this to coach my staff when they come to me or my clients unprepared.
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Albany Tom said:
I hate mnemonics, but like phrases. "If you fail to plan, your plan is to fail" is one. I like "if you can't move it, paint it", but that doesn't come up as much in aviation.
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Daleandee said:
Years ago I was taught, "Plan your work and work your plan."
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And yet ... "No plan survives first contact with the enemy" - Helmuth von Moltke

In 1961 “The Desert Generals” by Correlli Barnett contained a concise instance ascribed to Moltke:Rommel took Moltke’s view that “no plan survives contact with the enemy”. If his plan got him into battle, it was enough. After that, Rommel would fight by ear and eye and tactical sense, like a duelist.
 
Update by Mike Tyson "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face"
 
Have a plan, but expect changes, then adapt to those changes.
 
Is it legal to intentionally drop things from an airplane during flight?
 
What is a Minimum Equipment List?
What is it used for?

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
Wow, that’s a long exam! My oral was about 3 hours, but it only went that long because we were hoping the wind would calm down a bit. It didn’t, we discontinued, then did the ride a few weeks later. The flight was only about an hour.

So what toughies did the examiner ask you?
 
Half Fast said:
Wow, that’s a long exam! My oral was about 3 hours, but it only went that long because we were hoping the wind would calm down a bit. It didn’t, we discontinued, then did the ride a few weeks later. The flight was only about an hour.

So what toughies did the examiner ask you?
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Honestly I don't even remember. I'm shot. I do remember saying, "oh I know this one from a question I just read" but I can't remember it now for the life of me.
 
Congrats @Joseph Matties !!

Here's what you do next:
1) Procure an adult beverage
2) Celebrate with friends and/or family
3) Sleep
4) Go for a flight as a new PPL
5) Come back to PoA and post about how the ride went, and what questions we helped with (so that we feel all warm and fuzzy like we helped!)
 
Congratulations! It's quite an accomplishment and you should be very proud. Go fly and have some fun.

FYI - some of us thank our CFI with a small token. I gave mine a coupon for dinner-for-two at a good steakhouse, and I gave the school a couple of cases of good beer. Certainly not necessary, but a nice way to say "thanks" and it will be remembered kinldy when you want to get a rental checkout or a little more instruction.

Along those lines, you might consider sending a nice bottle of wine to everyone who contributed to this thread..... :D
 
Joseph Matties said:
Well I passed everyone. Thanks for all the tips cause I heard a few of these questions.6 hours long and gust 26 by the time we landed for the last time. Brutal stressful day. All headwind or I would have canceled.
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Oh boy. We did it, er uh I mean you did it.:lol: Congratulations. What's next?
 
Congratulations and welcome to a very small club. Get out there and learn some more. Try not to scare yourself too often.
 
Congrats! Nice job on finishing it with gusty winds.
 
flyingron said:
My wife was receiving primary instruction and I happened to be along in the back seat for some reason. They are trying to track the EMI VOR and having a difficult time with it. They had the ID turned up and I had to finally point out to them that it was sending TEST. And this was particularly silly because my wife was also an amateur radio operator (Advanced Class back when you had to do morse code to pass the test) and hadn't caught it.

Years ago, an instructor dinged me for not looking at the morse code on the chart to identify the VOR. I pointed out that I possessed both amateur and commercial licenses that required 20WPM code copying and the VOR sends really slow (somewhere around 3WPM) and I had no problem decoding it. After having him tune a half dozen stations and let me decode them blind he decided to believe me.
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My CFI for my PP and I were both Amateur Extra class hams. Needless to say, we both had no trouble with VORs, etc IDing in code. Never did have to look them up.

Now, did that help me the first time I had to talk to the tower on an aircraft radio? Who are you kidding? That was over 21 years ago and I think they are still laughing in that tower. It's a whole different lingo. Not a problem now, but back then? Oh, yeah.
 
Explain the aerodynamic reason Va is lower with lighter weight as it relates to AOA.

tex
 
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