gitmo234
Line Up and Wait
I busted my check ride today.
There's going to be some of my own negative review in here, so let me caveat up front, the DPE said I busted a couple things, I dispute one and the other probably legitimate, the other my CFI disputes as not even in the PTS. I accept responsibility for the bust. It should also be said that I was warned about the DPE directly by other students, one flight school I attended said they will not send students to him, and a few at my current flight school said to be careful. My CFI said he had good luck with his last 2 and was confident it had "changed". My CFI has been an instructor for a couple decades and a professional pilot for much longer
Oral: The oral exam I was told I performed "above average". He told me to plan a flight via a couple airports. "Plan a flight form here to there". So I did just that. We went over the usual but on some questions, rather than telling me I had the answer correct, he just paused and looked at me, I freaked out a bit second guessed myself and would sometimes try to change them. This DPE was different than what I heard about most. The only aids you were allowed to use was the FAR for the minimum equipment list, and a knee pad for light gun signals, because if you have it with you in the airplane you can use it as a reference. But only for that. No looking up anything else.
In the end he got very upset and was raising his voice at me. He didnt like that I didnt plan the route back (he didnt tell me plan the route back so I assume it was for a trip there for awhile, my CFI said he wouldnt have planned it either). He didnt like the trip planning worksheet my CFI had given me, to simply from the ASA types.
He also got very upset because I used a computer to access lockheed martin flight services vs calling them up at 1800wxbrief, although its the same screen and info they see. He wanted the charts printed on paper. He also didnt like that I used the local METAR/ATIS information for an airport we were planning to land at and should instead use one thats about 20 miles away since its a bigger airport. I kinda disagree but didnt say anything. I've seen those be way off in a matter miles in the northeast.
I had to discontinue due to both of our schedules. He handed me the letter of discontinuance, but said just because I was going to come back he wanted me to plan a different cross country and gave me a specific route to plan back, and also a list of changes on the planning sheet he wanted to see done.
I came back a few days later for the flight portion, the plan was to show up at 9 to have my transponder checked (had potential issues), and while I was waiting on that I would cover the part of the oral he wanted to re-visit.
When I got there and went through everything he got very, very upset. Raised his voice louder. He got upset about the planning sheet and said that I had made the changes he requested but he still wasnt happy and I should be using the ASA sheet and he didnt want to see it again.
He didnt like the route he told me to plan. I didnt like it either but he specifically said that was the route. I would have just reversed the route. On the route there the highest obstacle was 2500 feet. On the route back it was about 2000, he confused the two told me my plan was all messed up and it was a horrible route. I had decided not to quibble about it because he was going to be grading me. In reality, my thoughts were "I wouldnt fly this route anyway"
I stumbled on the special VFR stuff a bit because we got heavily into complicated scenarios with multiple air spaces and changing weather mid-flight in the north east.
He decided to revisit a couple of topics I did fine on, and I repeated an answer I had given last night and he started getting upset that I didnt have the book definition of density altitude memorized, vs explaining what it was. He also got really upset because I forgot the standard temperature in fahrenheit but knew it in celcius. At this point I was just ready to be done. He had spent most of the time raising his voice at me, some of the stuff was things we had covered and I had gotten right, some of it was stuff he told me to do then still didnt like. I finally said "look, I forget the fahrenheit temp, I think its 59 degrees but just to be safe, let me look it up". I converted it on my phone and it was 59.
At this point I was actually reaching to grab my stuff to just be done with it. I had already passed the oral, and I didnt feel like being shouted at. He picked up I had enough it and stopped. He said "check the weather, preflight the airplane and let me know when you're ready, maybe we can fly early". I was supposed to fly at 1pm. By the end of both times on the oral I really didnt want to fly anyway.
Weather wasnt in my favor with and airmet for moderate turbulance below 10k feet and I addressed it with him. I told him I wouldnt be doing manuevers when its this bumpy but was okay with the cross country and landing portion, on a runway with a headwind. He agreed.
I checked the airplane, came back and he said he was busy and I should hold off.
When it came time to fly we did the preflight, hopped in and did the usual, more or less uneventful except the avionics guys had shot off all my coms and I was really confused and thought something was wrong. Normally the 430 comes right on.
Finally figured it out and started the taxi. I was so nervous, I'm not sure what I was thinking, because I've flown in and out of this towered airport probably 30 times but I almost lined up on the wrong runway. On runway 1-19 I started to face the wrong one but before I finished turning onto it the tower corrected me (what the hell was I thinking).
I did the take off perfect over the obstacle, completed the navigation/cross country portion satisfactorily and nailed the landing coming back. We looked for better air up there but it was just too much and I called it. On the ground he gave me a good verbal beat down about the oral again, about the near-incident on the runway, and my trouble maintaining altitude and heading in the turbulence. I was exiting the runway onto a taxiway, probably right as my nosewheel was going over the line. Talking with tower and they told me to "change to ground frequency and contact ground, have a good day", so I pushed the button to contact ground. He threw his hand up, with that ominous "STOP" motion that people make, but I had no idea what to stop, and every time I've seen that it means to stop the airplane, so I started to brake (but didnt not stop), and I then got yelled out for changing the frequency and almost stopping on a runway. I told him the tower told me to change so I changed.
Got my letter of discontinuance and went home. I talked to my CFI about not wanting to go back and a handful of other people. Once I started explaining it a bit more in detail than here, a couple people knew who it was. I was asking general opinions on going somewhere else or not.
I decided today after a good nights sleep to go ahead and try this afternoon so I flew back.
It was immediately apparent when I arrived that something had happened. He very clearly didnt want any pleasantries or non-flight related conversation. I knew from that moment this would not go well.
We got into the airplane and had runway 19, winds were 170 @12. I didnt quite correct enough on my soft field take off, we came off the ground, left wheel touched again a bit, and we were off but I was blown off center, as I climbed I ended up over the lights. He basically told me it was horrible, and the wind doesnt matter, and they were only 5 knot winds anyway (although the tower was announcing 11 or 12 not on the radio).
I went under the hood. He gave me altitudes, directions and speeds to climb at, I did that and my unusual attitude, he said they were mediocre.
He handed me controls and I was paying attention at the altitude, and I read 1900 feet. I started slow flight and lost about 50 feet, he said I lost 150 feet.
I did the steep turns, he said the left was a little shallow and the right turn was okay but I had to shallow it sometime to gain altitude and he was upset about that. I busted that for sure because I was right at 10 degrees off leveling out, because I confused my visual reference point (two water towers, i picked the wrong one)
I then did the stalls. He said they were mediocre and recovery is supposed to be at a climb. My CFI said the PTS (and I read it as well) says they say speeds but not climb. PTS says I accelerate to Vx or Vy and the altitude indicated by the examiner.
After that he said "Lets use the VOR home". I plugged it in, followed the VOR for about 5 miles, saw the airport, talked to the tower, got my pattern entry and runway, and he was upset that as soon as I saw the runway I didnt use the VOR any more, i just flew to the airport (I was in contact with the tower).
I did one landing which was perfect, took it home. We went upstairs. He handed me disapproval. Gave me a good dressing down. He asked if I thought anything was unfair or not to standard. I said "yes, you said if I busted you would ask me if I wanted to continue the checkride, and allow me to complete the rest, you didnt". I also mentioned the altitude/hand off discrepancy. He said he's been flying 40 years and he knows what altitude we were at. The he said "go complain to the FSDO and take your next checkride with them"
I talked with my CFI without trying to spin it to my favor. Told him I had legitimately gone wrong, but I wasnt going back to him. My CFI told me this kinda stuff was a problem in the past, he though it had cleared up, but apparently it hasnt and he wont be sending people back.
Long story short, I screwed up a couple of things I knew 100% because I was nervous and spent a few days getting yelled at.
There's going to be some of my own negative review in here, so let me caveat up front, the DPE said I busted a couple things, I dispute one and the other probably legitimate, the other my CFI disputes as not even in the PTS. I accept responsibility for the bust. It should also be said that I was warned about the DPE directly by other students, one flight school I attended said they will not send students to him, and a few at my current flight school said to be careful. My CFI said he had good luck with his last 2 and was confident it had "changed". My CFI has been an instructor for a couple decades and a professional pilot for much longer
Oral: The oral exam I was told I performed "above average". He told me to plan a flight via a couple airports. "Plan a flight form here to there". So I did just that. We went over the usual but on some questions, rather than telling me I had the answer correct, he just paused and looked at me, I freaked out a bit second guessed myself and would sometimes try to change them. This DPE was different than what I heard about most. The only aids you were allowed to use was the FAR for the minimum equipment list, and a knee pad for light gun signals, because if you have it with you in the airplane you can use it as a reference. But only for that. No looking up anything else.
In the end he got very upset and was raising his voice at me. He didnt like that I didnt plan the route back (he didnt tell me plan the route back so I assume it was for a trip there for awhile, my CFI said he wouldnt have planned it either). He didnt like the trip planning worksheet my CFI had given me, to simply from the ASA types.
He also got very upset because I used a computer to access lockheed martin flight services vs calling them up at 1800wxbrief, although its the same screen and info they see. He wanted the charts printed on paper. He also didnt like that I used the local METAR/ATIS information for an airport we were planning to land at and should instead use one thats about 20 miles away since its a bigger airport. I kinda disagree but didnt say anything. I've seen those be way off in a matter miles in the northeast.
I had to discontinue due to both of our schedules. He handed me the letter of discontinuance, but said just because I was going to come back he wanted me to plan a different cross country and gave me a specific route to plan back, and also a list of changes on the planning sheet he wanted to see done.
I came back a few days later for the flight portion, the plan was to show up at 9 to have my transponder checked (had potential issues), and while I was waiting on that I would cover the part of the oral he wanted to re-visit.
When I got there and went through everything he got very, very upset. Raised his voice louder. He got upset about the planning sheet and said that I had made the changes he requested but he still wasnt happy and I should be using the ASA sheet and he didnt want to see it again.
He didnt like the route he told me to plan. I didnt like it either but he specifically said that was the route. I would have just reversed the route. On the route there the highest obstacle was 2500 feet. On the route back it was about 2000, he confused the two told me my plan was all messed up and it was a horrible route. I had decided not to quibble about it because he was going to be grading me. In reality, my thoughts were "I wouldnt fly this route anyway"
I stumbled on the special VFR stuff a bit because we got heavily into complicated scenarios with multiple air spaces and changing weather mid-flight in the north east.
He decided to revisit a couple of topics I did fine on, and I repeated an answer I had given last night and he started getting upset that I didnt have the book definition of density altitude memorized, vs explaining what it was. He also got really upset because I forgot the standard temperature in fahrenheit but knew it in celcius. At this point I was just ready to be done. He had spent most of the time raising his voice at me, some of the stuff was things we had covered and I had gotten right, some of it was stuff he told me to do then still didnt like. I finally said "look, I forget the fahrenheit temp, I think its 59 degrees but just to be safe, let me look it up". I converted it on my phone and it was 59.
At this point I was actually reaching to grab my stuff to just be done with it. I had already passed the oral, and I didnt feel like being shouted at. He picked up I had enough it and stopped. He said "check the weather, preflight the airplane and let me know when you're ready, maybe we can fly early". I was supposed to fly at 1pm. By the end of both times on the oral I really didnt want to fly anyway.
Weather wasnt in my favor with and airmet for moderate turbulance below 10k feet and I addressed it with him. I told him I wouldnt be doing manuevers when its this bumpy but was okay with the cross country and landing portion, on a runway with a headwind. He agreed.
I checked the airplane, came back and he said he was busy and I should hold off.
When it came time to fly we did the preflight, hopped in and did the usual, more or less uneventful except the avionics guys had shot off all my coms and I was really confused and thought something was wrong. Normally the 430 comes right on.
Finally figured it out and started the taxi. I was so nervous, I'm not sure what I was thinking, because I've flown in and out of this towered airport probably 30 times but I almost lined up on the wrong runway. On runway 1-19 I started to face the wrong one but before I finished turning onto it the tower corrected me (what the hell was I thinking).
I did the take off perfect over the obstacle, completed the navigation/cross country portion satisfactorily and nailed the landing coming back. We looked for better air up there but it was just too much and I called it. On the ground he gave me a good verbal beat down about the oral again, about the near-incident on the runway, and my trouble maintaining altitude and heading in the turbulence. I was exiting the runway onto a taxiway, probably right as my nosewheel was going over the line. Talking with tower and they told me to "change to ground frequency and contact ground, have a good day", so I pushed the button to contact ground. He threw his hand up, with that ominous "STOP" motion that people make, but I had no idea what to stop, and every time I've seen that it means to stop the airplane, so I started to brake (but didnt not stop), and I then got yelled out for changing the frequency and almost stopping on a runway. I told him the tower told me to change so I changed.
Got my letter of discontinuance and went home. I talked to my CFI about not wanting to go back and a handful of other people. Once I started explaining it a bit more in detail than here, a couple people knew who it was. I was asking general opinions on going somewhere else or not.
I decided today after a good nights sleep to go ahead and try this afternoon so I flew back.
It was immediately apparent when I arrived that something had happened. He very clearly didnt want any pleasantries or non-flight related conversation. I knew from that moment this would not go well.
We got into the airplane and had runway 19, winds were 170 @12. I didnt quite correct enough on my soft field take off, we came off the ground, left wheel touched again a bit, and we were off but I was blown off center, as I climbed I ended up over the lights. He basically told me it was horrible, and the wind doesnt matter, and they were only 5 knot winds anyway (although the tower was announcing 11 or 12 not on the radio).
I went under the hood. He gave me altitudes, directions and speeds to climb at, I did that and my unusual attitude, he said they were mediocre.
He handed me controls and I was paying attention at the altitude, and I read 1900 feet. I started slow flight and lost about 50 feet, he said I lost 150 feet.
I did the steep turns, he said the left was a little shallow and the right turn was okay but I had to shallow it sometime to gain altitude and he was upset about that. I busted that for sure because I was right at 10 degrees off leveling out, because I confused my visual reference point (two water towers, i picked the wrong one)
I then did the stalls. He said they were mediocre and recovery is supposed to be at a climb. My CFI said the PTS (and I read it as well) says they say speeds but not climb. PTS says I accelerate to Vx or Vy and the altitude indicated by the examiner.
After that he said "Lets use the VOR home". I plugged it in, followed the VOR for about 5 miles, saw the airport, talked to the tower, got my pattern entry and runway, and he was upset that as soon as I saw the runway I didnt use the VOR any more, i just flew to the airport (I was in contact with the tower).
I did one landing which was perfect, took it home. We went upstairs. He handed me disapproval. Gave me a good dressing down. He asked if I thought anything was unfair or not to standard. I said "yes, you said if I busted you would ask me if I wanted to continue the checkride, and allow me to complete the rest, you didnt". I also mentioned the altitude/hand off discrepancy. He said he's been flying 40 years and he knows what altitude we were at. The he said "go complain to the FSDO and take your next checkride with them"
I talked with my CFI without trying to spin it to my favor. Told him I had legitimately gone wrong, but I wasnt going back to him. My CFI told me this kinda stuff was a problem in the past, he though it had cleared up, but apparently it hasnt and he wont be sending people back.
Long story short, I screwed up a couple of things I knew 100% because I was nervous and spent a few days getting yelled at.
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You dont have to put up with that. He probably thinks he can get away with it cause he issues the ticket and has you over a barrel. 