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Final Approach
I wouldn't call this a "horror story" but my IR DPE was a bit of a nervous nellie too. I have an Aeromedix CO monitor (key fob type) that I hang on the top of the glareshield. I normally position it so that I can easily read it, but so that it doesn't interfere with my view of any primary instruments or the GMX-200, which means that the right-seater can see and read it too. I gave the DPE fair warning as we were walking out to the plane that I had one, that I was going to use it, and that I commonly see ppm values in the single digits and even low teens, particularly during descents with the gear extended, and that they are nothing to worry about.
My first approach was an ILS, and my usual practice is to put the gear down at glideslope intercept. Soon after, the DPE mentioned that he was getting a nonzero reading on the CO monitor. I asked how much, he said "2". I told him, not a factor. Then he started asking me more questions about it, such as what is a normal level, when should he worry, etc. I had already given him most of this info during the preflight briefing and was busy keeping the needles centered, so I wasn't sure exactly what more he wanted to know. I told him that I would answer his questions in more detail later but that right now, I needed to fly the plane. He would have none of it. "This is a safety of flight issue and I need to have my questions answered NOW." I told him I was PIC and in my judgment, 2 ppm was not a safety of flight issue, and basically that if he wanted to try to distract me, okay, he is supposed to, but I refuse to be distracted so please shut up. No joy. He insisted that he could distract me at any time and to whatever degree he wanted to. I told him that I was trying to fly an approach and could not discuss this at the same time. He replied that we were VFR and that HE could land the plane if need be and that I was REQUIRED to answer all of his questions related to this "issue". At that point I was convinced that he was trying to maneuver me into blowing the checkride, and I was within a few seconds of discontinuing it myself, landing, and throwing him out of my airplane. As a last ditch effort, I asked what specifically he needed to know, which turned out to be a value at which he should start to worry. I gave him "25", which appeared to satisfy him even though it was only, truth be told, the value at which the unit will first sound an alarm. I completed the approach, and the rest of the checkride went splendidly.
He told me later that he had experienced CO poisoning once (a house furnace malfunction) and was actually a bit phobic about it. Lesson learned: hang the CO monitor somewhere else or put it where your passengers can't see it. You never know when a nervous flyer with "a little knowledge" is going to make a scene because of a little too much information. And that nervous flyer might just be your DPE.
My first approach was an ILS, and my usual practice is to put the gear down at glideslope intercept. Soon after, the DPE mentioned that he was getting a nonzero reading on the CO monitor. I asked how much, he said "2". I told him, not a factor. Then he started asking me more questions about it, such as what is a normal level, when should he worry, etc. I had already given him most of this info during the preflight briefing and was busy keeping the needles centered, so I wasn't sure exactly what more he wanted to know. I told him that I would answer his questions in more detail later but that right now, I needed to fly the plane. He would have none of it. "This is a safety of flight issue and I need to have my questions answered NOW." I told him I was PIC and in my judgment, 2 ppm was not a safety of flight issue, and basically that if he wanted to try to distract me, okay, he is supposed to, but I refuse to be distracted so please shut up. No joy. He insisted that he could distract me at any time and to whatever degree he wanted to. I told him that I was trying to fly an approach and could not discuss this at the same time. He replied that we were VFR and that HE could land the plane if need be and that I was REQUIRED to answer all of his questions related to this "issue". At that point I was convinced that he was trying to maneuver me into blowing the checkride, and I was within a few seconds of discontinuing it myself, landing, and throwing him out of my airplane. As a last ditch effort, I asked what specifically he needed to know, which turned out to be a value at which he should start to worry. I gave him "25", which appeared to satisfy him even though it was only, truth be told, the value at which the unit will first sound an alarm. I completed the approach, and the rest of the checkride went splendidly.
He told me later that he had experienced CO poisoning once (a house furnace malfunction) and was actually a bit phobic about it. Lesson learned: hang the CO monitor somewhere else or put it where your passengers can't see it. You never know when a nervous flyer with "a little knowledge" is going to make a scene because of a little too much information. And that nervous flyer might just be your DPE.