drotto
Cleared for Takeoff
Yet, it feels like I did some of my worst flying in weeks. I passed though, so when do I feel confident about my ability to fly?
OK, with the self depreciation out of the way the checkride write-up.
I had done my oral a few days earlier, so this was just the flight portion. The winds were moderate today at 8 to 10 g16. He started my with a short field take-off which was decent. We then started my flight plan, but he basically immediately had my divert to my alternative airport. Along the way he pointed out another runway, and asked me is that the place. Luckily, I realized it was not and continued to my diversion airport. He had me do an engine out decent from about 3000 feet, wanting me to loop around. At this time a second plane had right of way in the pattern, which messed up my emergency landing (not sure it would have been a good one). He allowed me to go around, and do the emergency landing a second time. It was not pretty, but it was safe. He did not seem very impressed.
The I did my soft field take-off, there was a fair crosswind at this point, so I got a little off center-line, but was still within standards. I was very nervous and felt like he may have me call it quits at any point. Luckily the DPE was very nice and easy going and we moved on. We went around the pattern, and I did my soft field landing. Again the landing was within standards, but was a little rough. We then left to head back to my starting point and did my maneuvers on the way back. The turn around a point went well, and he only made me circle it about 2 times. Steep turns were next and went fine.
The it was time for slow flight. I actually pulled up a bit aggressively and almost stalled the plan, but quickly settled myself and did well on slow flight. I was then thrown a little bit of a curve. In practice, we had always taken slow flight right into the stall, but he said no the FAA now wants us to have you reset the plane in a controlled decent, and then stall the plane. So, I did the procedure they way he said, and did fine.
The time for power on stalls. Again the setup he wanted was different from what my CFI had been doing. In practice, the CFI had me slowing the plane, then applying full power and aggressively pitching up. I performed the stall as I was taught. He said I did it right, but he wanted me to try it again, but be less aggressive with my pitching up, allowing the plane to ease more slowly into the stall. I did it again as he wanted it, he said that was perfect.
Finally, he had me put on the dreaded foggles and do some IMC flight, and then the unusual attitude. This was the first procedure he actually complimented me on. He then decided to have a little fun and asked for the controls. At which point he basically maneuvered the plane as if we were doing unusual attitudes. At that point he just let go of the yolk and said watch what the plane does. At that point we sat there and just basically watched as the plane repeatedly self corrected itself, and basically achieved "normal" flight all by itself. He smiled and said see, you did the unusual attitude perfect, but with enough altitude all you had to do was let go.
So we head back home, and he give me another engine out. The first one did pass, but he decided he wanted to see another. This one was almost dead on. Finally, one more trip around the pattern, and it was time for my short field landing. I did drop the plane in slightly, but was right on the numbers. End checkride.
I really am a perfectionist, and was not happy with how I flew today to be honest. Despite that the DPE said, I did fine, keep practicing, work on the crosswind landings, know my limitations, and actually said I now had my license to learn. I am thrilled to be done, now just need to get my confidence back. In the end I suspect I did my better then my perception.
OK, with the self depreciation out of the way the checkride write-up.
I had done my oral a few days earlier, so this was just the flight portion. The winds were moderate today at 8 to 10 g16. He started my with a short field take-off which was decent. We then started my flight plan, but he basically immediately had my divert to my alternative airport. Along the way he pointed out another runway, and asked me is that the place. Luckily, I realized it was not and continued to my diversion airport. He had me do an engine out decent from about 3000 feet, wanting me to loop around. At this time a second plane had right of way in the pattern, which messed up my emergency landing (not sure it would have been a good one). He allowed me to go around, and do the emergency landing a second time. It was not pretty, but it was safe. He did not seem very impressed.
The I did my soft field take-off, there was a fair crosswind at this point, so I got a little off center-line, but was still within standards. I was very nervous and felt like he may have me call it quits at any point. Luckily the DPE was very nice and easy going and we moved on. We went around the pattern, and I did my soft field landing. Again the landing was within standards, but was a little rough. We then left to head back to my starting point and did my maneuvers on the way back. The turn around a point went well, and he only made me circle it about 2 times. Steep turns were next and went fine.
The it was time for slow flight. I actually pulled up a bit aggressively and almost stalled the plan, but quickly settled myself and did well on slow flight. I was then thrown a little bit of a curve. In practice, we had always taken slow flight right into the stall, but he said no the FAA now wants us to have you reset the plane in a controlled decent, and then stall the plane. So, I did the procedure they way he said, and did fine.
The time for power on stalls. Again the setup he wanted was different from what my CFI had been doing. In practice, the CFI had me slowing the plane, then applying full power and aggressively pitching up. I performed the stall as I was taught. He said I did it right, but he wanted me to try it again, but be less aggressive with my pitching up, allowing the plane to ease more slowly into the stall. I did it again as he wanted it, he said that was perfect.
Finally, he had me put on the dreaded foggles and do some IMC flight, and then the unusual attitude. This was the first procedure he actually complimented me on. He then decided to have a little fun and asked for the controls. At which point he basically maneuvered the plane as if we were doing unusual attitudes. At that point he just let go of the yolk and said watch what the plane does. At that point we sat there and just basically watched as the plane repeatedly self corrected itself, and basically achieved "normal" flight all by itself. He smiled and said see, you did the unusual attitude perfect, but with enough altitude all you had to do was let go.
So we head back home, and he give me another engine out. The first one did pass, but he decided he wanted to see another. This one was almost dead on. Finally, one more trip around the pattern, and it was time for my short field landing. I did drop the plane in slightly, but was right on the numbers. End checkride.
I really am a perfectionist, and was not happy with how I flew today to be honest. Despite that the DPE said, I did fine, keep practicing, work on the crosswind landings, know my limitations, and actually said I now had my license to learn. I am thrilled to be done, now just need to get my confidence back. In the end I suspect I did my better then my perception.
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Congrats!! Now go enjoy some air time.
