Commercial Checkride Complete

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Triggerhappyjack

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TriggerHappyJack
I completed my commercial checkride on Memorial Day. The weather was perfect at LZU and my DPE was tough but fair. The oral was a little bit harder then I was expecting but the flight was exactly to PTS standards.
Here are a few questions I stumbled over.
- what is the difference between aviation oxygen and medical oxygen
- describe wire strike avoidance (so simple I messed it up)
- what gear do you have to have to fly over Alaska
- fuel starvation vs fuel exhaustion
- formula for finding pivotal altitude
 
Congrats. Any chance you could share the correct answers with us?

Is there a difference between medical and aviation oxygen aside from the fittings?
 
Are you planning on crop dusting in Alaska? Where do they come up with these questions?
 
Witmo said:
Are you planning on crop dusting in Alaska? Where do they come up with these questions?
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Wire strike avoidance is a special emphasis area, so it is no surprise it was covered. I'm curious to hear about the gear needed to fly Alaska though. It seems a bit over the top to expect someone in Georgia to have studied that.
 
I remember that you have to have specified survival gear flying in Alaska (as well as northern Canada), but I can't remember where that info is located...

Edit...from the Fairbanks FSS page:
Survival gear is required by regulation both in Canada and in Alaska. You will need to know what items are required, although they are no longer listed in the Alaska Supplement. I was unable to find an official government website that gives details on that, but here is a link to a website that claims to have information on these regulations as well as some other tips on survival gear: Equipped To Survive.
Click to expand...
 
Triggerhappyjack said:
I completed my commercial checkride on Memorial Day. The weather was perfect at LZU and my DPE was tough but fair. The oral was a little bit harder then I was expecting but the flight was exactly to PTS standards.
Here are a few questions I stumbled over.
- what is the difference between aviation oxygen and medical oxygen
- describe wire strike avoidance (so simple I messed it up)
- what gear do you have to have to fly over Alaska
- fuel starvation vs fuel exhaustion
- formula for finding pivotal altitude
Click to expand...
"Aviation" oxygen is supposed to be so pure that there is practically no moisture present to freeze up in the lines in flight.

It's where you avoid wires.

Survival equipment?..

Fuel starvation means fuel is present, but unable to reach the engine or be used in combustion.
Fuel exhaustion means you've used it all.

I have a formula somewhere on my kneeboard.
 
red4golf said:
Well, that's what I get for going from memory. It also explains why I was a little off on my entry the last time I practiced in the Arrow. *smacks forehead, turns in CFI candidate hat*
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No worries, I just figured it was worth clarifying for those in the audience.
 
MauleSkinner said:
I remember that you have to have specified survival gear flying in Alaska (as well as northern Canada), but I can't remember where that info is located...

Edit...from the Fairbanks FSS page:
Click to expand...

I don't have an official source either, but I found this thread when I was researching it recently for a trip I'm doing this summer.

https://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/alaska-state-req-d-survival-equipment-as-22-35-110-19264

I'm assuming that this is what the examiner was looking for, but it will be interesting to hear from the op what they expected.
 
The DPE said the medical oxygen had more water in it and it could freeze at altitude (insert story about this happening with fatal results). On wire strikes, he wanted me to talk about the dangers of wires near roads and fields (incase of off site landing). Fuel starvation vs exhaustion is just as Kirk said. He also wanted me talk through trouble shooting both (insert story of pilot who didn't switch tanks). He started asking about equipment needed for flying over water and that flowed into what is needed for Alaska. All he wanted to hear was warm clothes and equipment for the situation. I made it much harder. Lastly, Kirk is correct on the formula. I had the altitudes written down for various speeds I use but I did not memorize the formula. If I can think of others that messed me up I will post them.
 
It's an Alakan state statute that requires survival gear, there is no reason someone in Georgia should be expected to know about it. http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/statutes.asp#02.35.110

Sec. 02.35.110. Emergency rations and equipment. (a) An airman may not make a flight inside the state with an aircraft unless emergency equipment is carried as follows:
(1) the following minimum equipment must be carried during the summer months:
(A) rations for each occupant sufficient to sustain life for one week;
(B) one axe or hatchet;
(C) one first aid kit;
(D) an assortment of tackle such as hooks, flies, lines, and sinkers;
(E) one knife;
(F) fire starter;
(G) one mosquito headnet for each occupant;
(H) two small signalling devices such as colored smoke bombs, railroad fuses, or Very pistol shells, in sealed metal containers;
(2) in addition to the equipment required under (1) of this subsection, the following must be carried as minimum equipment from October 15 to April 1 of each year:
(A) one pair of snowshoes;
(B) one sleeping bag;
(C) one wool blanket or equivalent for each occupant over four.
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, operators of multi-engine aircraft licensed to carry more than 15 passengers need carry only the food, mosquito nets, and signalling equipment at all times other than the period from October 15 to April 1 of each year, when two sleeping bags, and one blanket for every two passengers shall also be carried.
(c) All of the above requirements as to emergency rations and equipment are considered to be minimum requirements which are to remain in full force and effect, except as further safety measures may be from time to time imposed by the department.
 
Wheels said:
It's an Alakan state statute that requires survival gear, there is no reason someone in Georgia should be expected to know about it. http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/statutes.asp#02.35.110

Sec. 02.35.110. Emergency rations and equipment. (a) An airman may not make a flight inside the state with an aircraft unless emergency equipment is carried as follows:
(1) the following minimum equipment must be carried during the summer months:
(A) rations for each occupant sufficient to sustain life for one week;
(B) one axe or hatchet;
(C) one first aid kit;
(D) an assortment of tackle such as hooks, flies, lines, and sinkers;
(E) one knife;
(F) fire starter;
(G) one mosquito headnet for each occupant;
(H) two small signalling devices such as colored smoke bombs, railroad fuses, or Very pistol shells, in sealed metal containers;
(2) in addition to the equipment required under (1) of this subsection, the following must be carried as minimum equipment from October 15 to April 1 of each year:
(A) one pair of snowshoes;
(B) one sleeping bag;
(C) one wool blanket or equivalent for each occupant over four.
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, operators of multi-engine aircraft licensed to carry more than 15 passengers need carry only the food, mosquito nets, and signalling equipment at all times other than the period from October 15 to April 1 of each year, when two sleeping bags, and one blanket for every two passengers shall also be carried.
(c) All of the above requirements as to emergency rations and equipment are considered to be minimum requirements which are to remain in full force and effect, except as further safety measures may be from time to time imposed by the department.
Click to expand...

Can you fit all that into a 152 and still fly it? I mean not everyone in Alaska flies Caravans or Amphibious aircraft right?

Oh and congrats on the CPL checkride for the OP. Did mine end of April as well.
 
If you have a brain fart and can't answer the question, sometimes giving the DPE the source (FARs, POH, AIM, etc) will get you by, but then he/she may ask, "show me then", so you'd better know then! ;):)

Congrats!
 
mscard88 said:
If you have a brain fart and can't answer the question, sometimes giving the DPE the source (FARs, POH, AIM, etc) will get you by, but then he/she may ask, "show me then", so you'd better know then! ;):)

Congrats!
Click to expand...
"I don't know the answer to your question but I can look it up and get back to you." 60% of the time works all the time.
 
Triggerhappyjack said:
The DPE said the medical oxygen had more water in it and it could freeze at altitude (insert story about this happening with fatal results)....
Click to expand...
That might have been true years ago but everything I've read says that medical oxygen comes from the same bulk source as aviation O2 and also welding O2. The actual spec might allow for more water in medical O2 but in reality, the gas in the tank is the exact same stuff. If a hospital wants humidity added to medical O2, the O2 is run through a bubbler outside the tank, usually at bedside.
 
Witmo said:
That might have been true years ago but everything I've read says that medical oxygen comes from the same bulk source as aviation O2 and also welding O2. The actual spec might allow for more water in medical O2 but in reality, the gas in the tank is the exact same stuff. If a hospital wants humidity added to medical O2, the O2 is run through a bubbler outside the tank, usually at bedside.
Click to expand...

Have to agree. It's the spec that's different and aviation folks keep perpetuating the OWT that medical O2 is high humidity. The medical folks ADD H2O when needed.

But this myth won't die anytime soon, so we students just all memorize the "correct" answer and smile and regurgitate it on demand, knowing it'll die with our generation, or be corrected, if we can help it.

AirGas doesn't make multiple huge distribution tanks of O2 for medical and keep smaller ones for aviation.
 
Having water present in any deliberate quantity inside a bulk storage bare steel tank filled with pressurized O2 just isn't logical.
Not sure how this OWT keeps getting older among trained thinkers.
Assuming Al or FG tanks in the airplane? Mine's kevlar wrapped Al, I think.
 
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