asgcpa
En-Route
As some of you know, I flunked my Checkride 23 months ago. Decided to postpone a future and concentrated on sim work.
Last year I formed a LLC and we bought a Cirrus SR22, and updated the avionics with the new Avidyne IFD deck.
I decided to seek out an instructor with a lot of Cirrus experience as well as, one familiar with the new IFD 540 & 440. Not an easy task due to the new avionics. I was fortunate to find one through COPA; this gentleman was also highly recommended by several CSIPS including a former instructor I trusted and he really knows how to teach.
I started with him in January down South, but weather reared its ugly head for the last half of our planned week together. We got together in Chicago at the end of January and slated the ride for February. Come February I felt I wasn't there with respect to the avionics operation so I called off the ride the day before it was due to occur. In May went down south again, and flew several rounds of approaches flawlessly. However, the day of the Checkride ceilings were 1800 feet so no ride.
Had to do the written again as my old one expired end of May. Got a 92 on the newer ACS based exam on 6/17. As an aside, I thought this written exam was more representative of the current ifr environment than the test taken two years previous.
Took ride on 6/29. I basically had an "I don't give a F what happens attitude-just another flight". Oral focused on scenarios revolving around icing, t storms and other weather issues; alternates; lost coms. Questions about approaches, holds, low IFR charts, emergencies and other matters. Heavy scenarios. Time to fly.
This is the rest of the story. It was a real life adventure. With all the jet traffic, on the RNAV approach, ATC needed separation and told me they had to call my inbound turn as part of the procedure turn; then glide path was lost just as he told me to dim the pfd on the FAC so I had to go to LNAV mins instead of LPV mins and had to hand fly the approach through the end because the autopilot seemed flaky (I probably screwed a setting up on the 540) went missed after reaching LNAV mins; then requested an ILS approach for approach 2; unfortunately got vectored by ATC too close to the FAF for the ILS at 1,000 feet higher than the minimum so I was too high ...decided to go missed and requested another vector as well as an intercept vector at least 5 miles outside FAF which led to a very long inbound which was good because it gave me time to properly configure. ATC bitched me out about it but I said I needed it. I ended up nailing the ILS approach.
The OAT on 6/29 was in the mid 90s btw. Inside the cockpit who knows what it was but it was like a steam bath.
The third approach was a VOR approach where there was no room to play. I hand flew it using the flight director and moving map for guidance. I had the MFD which displayed the map blank out due to sweltering heat. Thank goodness we had the Avidyne IFD 540 installed as I used that map instead. Examiner was surprised mfd went out, as I heard him utter "what?" I just laughed and shook my head as something happened on every damn approach.
Examiner said he never saw so many obstacles thrown at someone on one Checkride.
I thought the examiner was very fair. He explained the Checkride process well and put me at ease. Although I worked hard, he said the obstacles I encountered were very real, but see the comment above.
Oral was about 2 hours including looking at my documents and the plane documents. Flight was 1.7 because I chose the additional approach on the ILS.
And yes I passed This time.
Last year I formed a LLC and we bought a Cirrus SR22, and updated the avionics with the new Avidyne IFD deck.
I decided to seek out an instructor with a lot of Cirrus experience as well as, one familiar with the new IFD 540 & 440. Not an easy task due to the new avionics. I was fortunate to find one through COPA; this gentleman was also highly recommended by several CSIPS including a former instructor I trusted and he really knows how to teach.
I started with him in January down South, but weather reared its ugly head for the last half of our planned week together. We got together in Chicago at the end of January and slated the ride for February. Come February I felt I wasn't there with respect to the avionics operation so I called off the ride the day before it was due to occur. In May went down south again, and flew several rounds of approaches flawlessly. However, the day of the Checkride ceilings were 1800 feet so no ride.
Had to do the written again as my old one expired end of May. Got a 92 on the newer ACS based exam on 6/17. As an aside, I thought this written exam was more representative of the current ifr environment than the test taken two years previous.
Took ride on 6/29. I basically had an "I don't give a F what happens attitude-just another flight". Oral focused on scenarios revolving around icing, t storms and other weather issues; alternates; lost coms. Questions about approaches, holds, low IFR charts, emergencies and other matters. Heavy scenarios. Time to fly.
This is the rest of the story. It was a real life adventure. With all the jet traffic, on the RNAV approach, ATC needed separation and told me they had to call my inbound turn as part of the procedure turn; then glide path was lost just as he told me to dim the pfd on the FAC so I had to go to LNAV mins instead of LPV mins and had to hand fly the approach through the end because the autopilot seemed flaky (I probably screwed a setting up on the 540) went missed after reaching LNAV mins; then requested an ILS approach for approach 2; unfortunately got vectored by ATC too close to the FAF for the ILS at 1,000 feet higher than the minimum so I was too high ...decided to go missed and requested another vector as well as an intercept vector at least 5 miles outside FAF which led to a very long inbound which was good because it gave me time to properly configure. ATC bitched me out about it but I said I needed it. I ended up nailing the ILS approach.
The OAT on 6/29 was in the mid 90s btw. Inside the cockpit who knows what it was but it was like a steam bath.
The third approach was a VOR approach where there was no room to play. I hand flew it using the flight director and moving map for guidance. I had the MFD which displayed the map blank out due to sweltering heat. Thank goodness we had the Avidyne IFD 540 installed as I used that map instead. Examiner was surprised mfd went out, as I heard him utter "what?" I just laughed and shook my head as something happened on every damn approach.
Examiner said he never saw so many obstacles thrown at someone on one Checkride.
I thought the examiner was very fair. He explained the Checkride process well and put me at ease. Although I worked hard, he said the obstacles I encountered were very real, but see the comment above.
Oral was about 2 hours including looking at my documents and the plane documents. Flight was 1.7 because I chose the additional approach on the ILS.
And yes I passed This time.
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