KPIE -> KFXE

asechrest

asechrest

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asechrest
Hi, all.

I'll be calling the examiner in less than a week to schedule my check-ride. Word on the street is that he loves to give students this flight to plan. I understand that the flight will begin by flying this plan and then at some point before long I'll get a diversion.

Flight training in this area very rarely heads southeast because of the airspace. Our practice area is west over the beaches and our cross country flights head north. Consequently, I'm real green as far as flights to the southeast.

I'll be going over this plan with my instructor in detail, but she's out of town so I thought I'd pick your brains. I'm told that the best route for me to plan is KPIE -> LBV -> KFXE. This puts me in complicated airspace immediately after departure. Typically I'd get flight following and I assume I'll do the same for the checkride.

What should I expect for this route? If I'm on flight following will I be able to fly my route or will I get vectored? If I get vectored around what will the examiner expect as far as getting back on my flight plan and heading to my check point? Once I get my diversion I'm not entirely clear on how to cancel flight following. Then who knows where he'll ask me to go for maneuvers.

I guess I'm just nervous about this route since I've never flown it. Would appreciate the pep talk. :D

Link to the route.
 
St. Pete - Tampa area isn't hard at all. Allot of folks think Miami is tough, but it ain't. Request Flight Following, and they will divert you, if you get into trouble. Real simple. Make your plan, pay attention to your Tops/Bottoms of the Airspace, and if you need to call me. I'll help you out.

I'm very familiar with the areas up there.

-----Flying Direct-----
  • 132 Heading @ 1,500ft MSL
You'll fly this heading and this altitude until you reach land (Sun City). As you cross the bridge you will be entering the air space of KTPF which is Class G. Their TPA is 900' so be on the lookout, and you will see it out of your left window. Shortly after that, you will hit land (Sun City).

  • Climb to 5500 MSL when you Cross your 2nd Major Highway (391)
You'll have an airspace change with a bottom of 6,000 MSL. So you'll be able to cruise right along underneath it and enjoy the scenery, or your examiner using your time wisely.


Shortly after you get to 5500, you'll be out of the Tampa 30nm radius mess, and coming upon Gardner where they love their Glider activity.

Staying on heading will bring you right alongside the corner of the Lake Placid West MOA. Just be knowledgable of your MOAs and what to do with them in case he "vectors" you to/through them.

Before long, staying on course... You should go right between Airglades (known for Hot Air balloons & Parachute Jumpers on occasion, and Lake Okeechobee.

20 mins (at a 110k cruise) after Okeechobee you should be about entering the training area, for the guys who have english as maybe their 3rd or 4th language, because it darn sure ain't their first. BE ALERT

  • Decend down to 1,000 (once you begin to see the city skyscrapers)
This will put you below the 1200ft bottom of the KFXE Class C. Pick up ATIS and set up your approach. Welcome to Fort Lauderdale!

Make sure you check out the Banyan Pilot Shop & grab a bite over at the Jet Runway Cafe!
 
Last edited:
asechrest said:
Hi, all.

I'll be calling the examiner in less than a week to schedule my check-ride. Word on the street is that he loves to give students this flight to plan. I understand that the flight will begin by flying this plan and then at some point before long I'll get a diversion.

Flight training in this area very rarely heads southeast because of the airspace. Our practice area is west over the beaches and our cross country flights head north. Consequently, I'm real green as far as flights to the southeast.

I'll be going over this plan with my instructor in detail, but she's out of town so I thought I'd pick your brains. I'm told that the best route for me to plan is KPIE -> LBV -> KFXE. This puts me in complicated airspace immediately after departure. Typically I'd get flight following and I assume I'll do the same for the checkride.

What should I expect for this route? If I'm on flight following will I be able to fly my route or will I get vectored? If I get vectored around what will the examiner expect as far as getting back on my flight plan and heading to my check point? Once I get my diversion I'm not entirely clear on how to cancel flight following. Then who knows where he'll ask me to go for maneuvers.

I guess I'm just nervous about this route since I've never flown it. Would appreciate the pep talk. :D

Link to the route.
Click to expand...

Read AIM 4-1-17 to see what flight following is all about; it is highly unlikely that ATC will vector a VFR aircraft in Class E airspace, but if it happens the controller will say something like "resume your own navigation" when the need for the vector no longer exists, in which case you would return to your flight planned route by the most expeditious route. You cancel flight following by saying "Cancel flight following for 1234X."

Another thing that is highly unlikely on a checkride is for the planned x-c to end up at the destination airport; the DE will break it off somewhere enroute.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
 
Thank you both for the replies, it's a big help. I'll spend some time with this route planning this week.
 
This is my area, I have flown from KSEF to KSPG and then the other way to KFXE and have much experience around LBV. You wanted a pep talk, it is a great area to fly and you can do it!
 
If your checkride is anything like most of those I have spoke to and my own, you will only be on your flight plan for the first few waypoints. You will probably not make it to LBV and definitely not make it to FXE. The planning exercise as it had been explained to me is to see if you do it and explain it. The flight check is not to see if you can do a cross country to the end but to make sure you can do all those other things in the PTS.

My guess is he will have you do your diversion and then fly to do the rest probably in your normal practice area.

I would assume your CFI told you to use this DPE, and is familiar with his practices. Talk to your CFI and see what the DPE normally does. Many DPE are open to you talking to them as well, and you could ask him as well, but I would first speak to your CFI. Lastly, speak to others that have done checkrides with him.

It seems to me that most DPE's want to put you at ease when you go on your PPL checkride, and I think you will find out that the stress you are putting yourself through(which I think most of us have as well)in the end will be unnecessary.
 
douglas393 said:
If your checkride is anything like most of those I have spoke to and my own, you will only be on your flight plan for the first few waypoints. You will probably not make it to LBV and definitely not make it to FXE. The planning exercise as it had been explained to me is to see if you do it and explain it. The flight check is not to see if you can do a cross country to the end but to make sure you can do all those other things in the PTS.

My guess is he will have you do your diversion and then fly to do the rest probably in your normal practice area.

I would assume your CFI told you to use this DPE, and is familiar with his practices. Talk to your CFI and see what the DPE normally does. Many DPE are open to you talking to them as well, and you could ask him as well, but I would first speak to your CFI. Lastly, speak to others that have done checkrides with him.

It seems to me that most DPE's want to put you at ease when you go on your PPL checkride, and I think you will find out that the stress you are putting yourself through(which I think most of us have as well)in the end will be unnecessary.
Click to expand...

That is cool that the current thinking is to put the pilot at ease. I got an extreme case of checkoutitis back in the day and needed to do part of my ride over!
 
Warrior said:
That is cool that the current thinking is to put the pilot at ease. I got an extreme case of checkoutitis back in the day and needed to do part of my ride over!
Click to expand...
Do not know if it is the current thinking, and I could be wrong in my observation, but it seems to me that the majority of the write ups I have read recently concerning PPL checkrides seem to bear that out. I do know when I took my PPL about 3 years ago that seemed to be the case, though when I took my IFR with the same DPE he seemed a little more business like. Though that is not to say he did not put me through a tough checkride at all. He was certainly thorough and threw a fair number of curveballs as well.
 
It's been a couple decades since I took my PPL checkride in very simple airspace, but this post makes me wonder: do people really get flight following for a checkride?

Seems to me that's almost "cheating" as it detracts from the ability to navigate airspace (specifically since it may result in a Bravo clearance and eliminate the need to navigate outside the airspace). Assuming flight following during a checkride is a general practice, how fair is that to ATC when you know good and well you won't be completing the trip to FXE? Just curious.
 
TexasPilot71 said:
It's been a couple decades since I took my PPL checkride in very simple airspace, but this post makes me wonder: do people really get flight following for a checkride?

Seems to me that's almost "cheating" as it detracts from the ability to navigate airspace (specifically since it may result in a Bravo clearance and eliminate the need to navigate outside the airspace). Assuming flight following during a checkride is a general practice, how fair is that to ATC when you know good and well you won't be completing the trip to FXE? Just curious.
Click to expand...

OP here. This was sort of my question as well. I have second-hand info that the DPE always gives this flight to plan, and he does make you fly it at least to your first checkpoint.

That leaves me to contend with the PIE class D, TPA class B, and also Macdill AFB and Albert Whitted. Because of all the airspaces that direction, I sort of assumed I'd be picking up flight following even on my checkride.

But I guess if I'm directed not to use flight following I'll have to look at talking to Albert Whitted directly after departure from KPIE and transitioning their airspace at 1,000 feet. Unless Macdill would allow me to transition through theirs while I fly the victor airway?

Like I said, I'll be going over this with my instructor, but since she's out of town I'm just kind of throwing things out there.
 
TexasPilot71 said:
It's been a couple decades since I took my PPL checkride in very simple airspace, but this post makes me wonder: do people really get flight following for a checkride?

Seems to me that's almost "cheating" as it detracts from the ability to navigate airspace (specifically since it may result in a Bravo clearance and eliminate the need to navigate outside the airspace). Assuming flight following during a checkride is a general practice, how fair is that to ATC when you know good and well you won't be completing the trip to FXE? Just curious.
Click to expand...

Current thinking is to fly the checkride the same way you will fly the day after you get your ticket; IOW, if flight following is your normal practice, the examiner wants to see that (and will be pleased). The only things that are out-of-the-ordinary about the checkride is the DE calling the shots....other than that, s/he is a knowledgeable passenger.

Bob Gardner
 
Good way to look at it...error to the side of caution. When flight following is free for you, and provides and extra set of eyes/ears, and free guidance on occasion USE IT :)
 
In that airspace you will be given a heading on takeoff and an altitude to maintain ,when you are clear they will tell you resume your own navigation.the controllers have fixed altitudes in and out of the major airports .If your nervous talk to some local pilots.
 
I got turned all around on my checkride after the DPE did unusual attitudes till I just about puked...he finished and told me to get back to the airport...

I called approach and asked for a vector...initially he was ticked off but after he thought about it...he commended me...said no one in 30+ years had ever made that move...

You know the worst thing? We were directly over the airport...
 
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