madriverman
Pre-Flight
Passed my check ride today! Whew...3 years to the day of my first solo flight as well! All the posts here definitely helped me prepare, so thanks guys!!!!
Here's a quick write up:
Headed to the FBO at 7am and got the plane ready. Laid out all the necessary documents (AROW, medical, PPL, annual, pitot/static, transponder, ELT, GPS, VOR)...DPE arrived and we went into the IACRA website to get all the FAA paperwork printed and signed off. We sat down with some coffee and dug into a few questions about what apps I am using and since he gave me my PPL check ride, I was using all the apps he likes (Foreflight and Aviation W&B). We went through how I set up the W&B and he asked about the importance of it (Va) and why Va mattered as well as the 3 kinds of turbulence one encounters (wake, pilot induced and wx-related). Then we talked a bit about the NOTAMS at our airport and how the DH for the ILS 17 at MTJ is wrong based on a new NOTAM. We discussed the route I chose for MTJ to PHX (SID, en route, and STAR), how wide federal airways are (4nm from centerline), MEAs (what they provide), random TFRs (and how they can pop up mid flight like in the case of a forest fire). He asked about required fuel (45 mins, but we both agreed an hour is way better) and when I would need an alternate (123 rule); we talked about lost communications (altitudes and routes). He asked about mountainous vs non mountainous separation and what designates it as mountainous (5-6-5 in the AIM, so basically some fella at the FAA). He asked about VOR checks (when/where/how). We talked a bit about how even small planes can easily fall into Category B on approaches if there is a tail wind and sure enough there was, so I was...and he showed me how the ILS 26 has a higher DH than the RNAV X 26 at KRIL, and how that's odd...and we talked about how LPVs aren't considered precision approaches, but they should be given that in some cases as in KRIL, they bring you lower to the ground.
Then we flew. He gave me a clearance to a published hold (also an IAF) and to expect an ILS 17 approach back to the airport, departed, entered the hold (teardrop) and I called to confirmed with ATC (him) that I had not received a clearance for the approach (no answer-call again-no answer), squawk 7600 (verbally) and talked about lost communication procedures. He actually talked the WHOLE time, which I expected based on my PPL--he does this to make sure you can handle distractions and of course, I could have told him to pipe down but that would have been rude since I like the guy! Then he cleared me for the DME arc and ILS 17, flew it to the missed, got radar vectors for the RNAV Z 17, to the missed and he gave me radar vectors back to the hold. Enroute we did 2 unusual attitudes (both nose down), back on course, got to the hold, cleared for the VOR/DME 13 but with new wx (Wind 310 at 30), so we circled to land (he talked about how we can descend 100 below each altitude at both the FAF and circling MDA since we have the airport in sight) and then we were on the ground!!!!
It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Oral was about 2 hours. Flight was about 1.5. Total start to finish with all the bs was around 4 hours. No steep turns. No weird holds. The wind was calm and the air was smooth. Whew. My remarkable wife and little girl as well as my amazing CFII were all waiting with flowers! What a day!
Here's a quick write up:
Headed to the FBO at 7am and got the plane ready. Laid out all the necessary documents (AROW, medical, PPL, annual, pitot/static, transponder, ELT, GPS, VOR)...DPE arrived and we went into the IACRA website to get all the FAA paperwork printed and signed off. We sat down with some coffee and dug into a few questions about what apps I am using and since he gave me my PPL check ride, I was using all the apps he likes (Foreflight and Aviation W&B). We went through how I set up the W&B and he asked about the importance of it (Va) and why Va mattered as well as the 3 kinds of turbulence one encounters (wake, pilot induced and wx-related). Then we talked a bit about the NOTAMS at our airport and how the DH for the ILS 17 at MTJ is wrong based on a new NOTAM. We discussed the route I chose for MTJ to PHX (SID, en route, and STAR), how wide federal airways are (4nm from centerline), MEAs (what they provide), random TFRs (and how they can pop up mid flight like in the case of a forest fire). He asked about required fuel (45 mins, but we both agreed an hour is way better) and when I would need an alternate (123 rule); we talked about lost communications (altitudes and routes). He asked about mountainous vs non mountainous separation and what designates it as mountainous (5-6-5 in the AIM, so basically some fella at the FAA). He asked about VOR checks (when/where/how). We talked a bit about how even small planes can easily fall into Category B on approaches if there is a tail wind and sure enough there was, so I was...and he showed me how the ILS 26 has a higher DH than the RNAV X 26 at KRIL, and how that's odd...and we talked about how LPVs aren't considered precision approaches, but they should be given that in some cases as in KRIL, they bring you lower to the ground.
Then we flew. He gave me a clearance to a published hold (also an IAF) and to expect an ILS 17 approach back to the airport, departed, entered the hold (teardrop) and I called to confirmed with ATC (him) that I had not received a clearance for the approach (no answer-call again-no answer), squawk 7600 (verbally) and talked about lost communication procedures. He actually talked the WHOLE time, which I expected based on my PPL--he does this to make sure you can handle distractions and of course, I could have told him to pipe down but that would have been rude since I like the guy! Then he cleared me for the DME arc and ILS 17, flew it to the missed, got radar vectors for the RNAV Z 17, to the missed and he gave me radar vectors back to the hold. Enroute we did 2 unusual attitudes (both nose down), back on course, got to the hold, cleared for the VOR/DME 13 but with new wx (Wind 310 at 30), so we circled to land (he talked about how we can descend 100 below each altitude at both the FAF and circling MDA since we have the airport in sight) and then we were on the ground!!!!
It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Oral was about 2 hours. Flight was about 1.5. Total start to finish with all the bs was around 4 hours. No steep turns. No weird holds. The wind was calm and the air was smooth. Whew. My remarkable wife and little girl as well as my amazing CFII were all waiting with flowers! What a day!
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