One week to go...

joycem137

joycem137

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Apr 2, 2013
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Novi, MI
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Robin
Just sharing this here. :)
One week to go until my checkride...

IACRA form filled out, check.
All hourly requirements met, check.
Flight maneuvers (slow flight, stalls, turning stalls, steep turns) "in the green" according to the CFI, check.
Airplane serviceable for checkride, check.
checkride scheduled check.
Knowledge test complete, check.
Oral test prep, ongoing.

I'm meeting another CFI for a phase check tomorrow, and then flying as much as I can Sunday for final prepwork and such, then it's onto the checkride on Monday, July 8th.

Ho-ly-crap. This is actually happening, and it's awesome. The closer it gets, the more excited and nervous I get. :p
 
If possible, ask the CFI doing the phase check to do the activity as a a mock oral and check ride. You'll likely have a few small improvement items pointed out and the chance to polish them.

Don't forget to read Ron Levy's checkride post.

And don't be so nervous that you leave a wing tied down. As my DPE joked with me, "We are going to do turns around a point, not the tie down."
 
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AggieMike88 said:
If possible, ask the CFI doing the phase check to do the activity as a a mock oral and check ride. You'll likely have a few small improvement items pointed out and the chance to polish them.

Don't forget to rear Ron Levy's checkride post.

And don't be so nervous that you leave a wing tied down. As my DPE joked with me, "We are going to do turns around a point, not the tie down."
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The CFI tomorrow is actually an ex-DPE, so I'm going to get the deluxe insider's treatment tomorrow. :) I'm actually really looking forward to it. Hope she'll be able to give me pointers and ideas on how to keep things "in the green" on all of my maneuvers and stuff.
 
Another pointer based on my checkride...

If the "engine failure" comes immediately after wearing the foggles and the unusual attitude maneuvers, Remember to look outside the left window and down to see if the DPE put you on top of an airport. The fields out in front might look nice, but that grass strip airport below you is better.

I was ready for this because my CFI was just as sneaky.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Another pointer based on my checkride...

If the "engine failure" comes immediately after wearing the foggles and the unusual attitude maneuvers, Remember to look outside the left window and down to see if the DPE put you on top of an airport. The fields out in front might look nice, but that grass strip airport below you is better.

I was ready for this because my CFI was just as sneaky.
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Good advice. How far do they usually make you come down? All the way to 500 AGL before doing the go around? Or do they set you up for an emergency landing at a runway? Or possibly both/either? My CFI has done both with me.
 
Odds are, you'll be within gliding distance of the Bay during your entire checkride. Maybe as far as Livermore (but I doubt it). No grass airstrips available.

Your checkride will likely take place in the direction your planned cross-country goes, after the first checkpoint or two. This gives you some control over where it is, though of course the examiner is free to vary it how he wants. There really are only a few places where it makes sense. But don't discount over the city like I did. I thought stalls at 2000 over Fremont would be too dangerous for the DPE to want to go there. I was wrong; PTS says completion by 1500 AGL.

They need to let you go down until they know you can make it. They can ask you either to make a landing or go around according to PTS, though it's kinda difficult to imagine making simulated emergency descents over an airport in our airspace. You might be a LOT lower than 500 feet at the bottom. I've done a few (not on the checkride) down to 100 feet, enough to have the flaps hanging all the way out. But, odds are, the DPE is going to be in a hurry, so you won't go down that far.
 
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joycem137 said:
Good advice. How far do they usually make you come down? All the way to 500 AGL before doing the go around? Or do they set you up for an emergency landing at a runway? Or possibly both/either? My CFI has done both with me.
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It depends what the DPE ate for breakfast that morning. The DPE for my sport checkride broke my engine right over a pretty sleepy airport, and we continued all the way to a landing. I think he also broke the flaps on that landing. When I took my private checkride, my DPE (a different one) said "hmm, I smell electrical smoke." So down we went. And on the way down, the engine failed. We went to 500 ft, but then somehow, magically, the fire went away and the engine came back to life. Funny how that happens.
 
My DPE made me take it to about 100 AGL on the private and one of the commercial emergencies. I got two engine outs on my commercial ride, lucky me! One was to about 100agl and one was about 1000 before pylon eights. Depends on how he's feeling.
 
Z06_Mir said:
My DPE made me take it to about 100 AGL on the private and one of the commercial emergencies. I got two engine outs on my commercial ride, lucky me! One was to about 100agl and one was about 1000 before pylon eights. Depends on how he's feeling.
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Oh yeah, I forgot. On my sport ride I got another engine out right as we were finishing the turn around a point. He asked to see two turns around the point, which should have been my first clue, but right after we were done with one, my engine died.
 
Phase check completed today. I was surprisingly nervous about it, and was even shaking a little in the airplane when doing the runup. Personally, I felt like I was really sloppy and underperforming what I've been able to do in the past, but the phase check CFI basically said I'm going to do well on the checkride. I just need a little more polish, like a couple more lessons with my CFI to really nail the maneuvers and stuff, and she concurs with my CFI that I'm ready to go for next week. Which is good, because I've already got those practice sessions scheduled.
 
Sounds like a good phase check. Nerves are a real issue during a checkride. Sounds like you dealt with it.

Just remember, the bar is not "perfect," or even "good." It's "safe."
 
MAKG1 said:
Sounds like a good phase check. Nerves are a real issue during a checkride. Sounds like you dealt with it.

Just remember, the bar is not "perfect," or even "good." It's "safe."
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I'm an overachiever (like many pilots, I'm sure). I don't like being anything less than perfect.

As my friends keep telling me. "RELAX. You don't have to be the best pilot in the world, Joyce..."
 
Wow Goodluck! I was suppose to do mine 7th Sunday. But with weather and no time to practice stalls all that.. I needed to delay.. Would you mind pm'ing me after your checkride if you remember to let me know how it went..
 
PM, heck.

The occasional checkride writeup posted to the forum is very useful for other late-stage student pilots. I'd encourage you to post one. Maybe the same one your instructor is going to ask for.
 
Sure! I'll write up my experience, success or failure. And if I fail, I'll write up the next one, too. :)
 
marcoseddi said:
Wow Goodluck! I was suppose to do mine 7th Sunday. But with weather and no time to practice stalls all that.. I needed to delay.. Would you mind pm'ing me after your checkride if you remember to let me know how it went..
Click to expand...

Thanks for the good wishes! I really hope I make it! I think I'll take makg1's suggestion and do a post about my experience on Monday. :)

I'm planning to spend most of tomorrow AM doing practice work on my own, followed by practice work with my instructor in the later afternoon. Then we will head out to Santa Rosa in the AM on Monday to do more practice, and meet the DPE in the afternoon.

Aaaaaaahhhhhhh! :goofy:
 
It's easier said than done, but get a good night's sleep prior to the ride.

Be prepared for NorCal not to cooperate if you're going all the way out there. They wouldn't let me into KOAK Class C yesterday and I had to go around over Dublin. Bumpy as hell leeward of the East Bay Hills. Class B would not have been an option for a student because it was undercast all day (tops around 2000).

I suspect the issue was diversions related to the SFO crash/closure, but holiday traffic can get episodically bad on its own.
 
I see you have the 172SP 535 checked out all day. Good luck.

STS is IFR right now, forecast to lift at 11AM. I hope that's not a factor. It's real nice in the south and east bay.
 
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Those of us that are hoping for a checkride this summer or fall are watching this thread with great interest. Good luck!
 
I did it! I'm a pilot! Hanging with friends tonight, but a report will follow in the next few days. :). Yayayayay!
 
Kinda fun isn't it? Congrats.
 
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