IFR checkride in IMC: PASSED!

When the weather is bad and the examiner gives you the option of delaying
for better weather, don't say "Well, if I can't pass my checkride in IMC I'm
probably not qualified for the IFR rating."

First attempt at the checkride. Icing forecast at 6,000. Examiner said
"No problem. We probably won't go much above four." The FIRST
instruction I got from Portland Approach was to hold over Battleground...at
6,000. Lots of flying around in turbulence trying to maintain heading and
altitude, listening to PDX warn people about the weather.

Later, holding in IMC, was told it was 2003Z and to expect my next clearance
at 2030Z.
Wonderful. So I held in IMC for about 20 minutes while the examiner tracked
my course on his handheld GPS.

I'm not sure how I passed. He spent the first half hour of the oral telling
me about how failure works, and not to be embarrassed by it, etc. I'm not
in fact sure how I made it through the checkride without just saying "This
sucks. I'm going home." I made more mistakes and flew sloppier than any
training flight I've done in the last month. So I had already started
guessing which parts I passed and which I busted, and TWO HOURS after we
landed--he having asked questions like "So, how do YOU think you did?"--he
pulled out a booklet (me: 'here comes the dreaded pink slip'), asked for my
logbook and then wrote my temporary endorsement. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Wasn't a gold-medal performance, but he said I stayed cool in the IMC and
that must have been my saving grace. Went home and discovered my wife had
poured a shot of whiskey for me. Mission accomplished!

-gatt
Portland, OR

Well, Santa Claus came early this year. :-)

Congratulations.

not many examiners I know of would go up in real IFR for a checkride with
someone they did not know... good job..
BT

"gatt" wrote in message
...

When the weather is bad and the examiner gives you the option of delaying
for better weather, don't say "Well, if I can't pass my checkride in IMC
I'm
probably not qualified for the IFR rating."

First attempt at the checkride. Icing forecast at 6,000. Examiner said
"No problem. We probably won't go much above four." The FIRST
instruction I got from Portland Approach was to hold over
Battleground...at
6,000. Lots of flying around in turbulence trying to maintain heading and
altitude, listening to PDX warn people about the weather.

Later, holding in IMC, was told it was 2003Z and to expect my next
clearance
at 2030Z.
Wonderful. So I held in IMC for about 20 minutes while the examiner
tracked
my course on his handheld GPS.

I'm not sure how I passed. He spent the first half hour of the oral
telling
me about how failure works, and not to be embarrassed by it, etc. I'm
not
in fact sure how I made it through the checkride without just saying "This
sucks. I'm going home." I made more mistakes and flew sloppier than any
training flight I've done in the last month. So I had already started
guessing which parts I passed and which I busted, and TWO HOURS after we
landed--he having asked questions like "So, how do YOU think you did?"--he
pulled out a booklet (me: 'here comes the dreaded pink slip'), asked for
my
logbook and then wrote my temporary endorsement. I couldn't believe my
eyes.

Wasn't a gold-medal performance, but he said I stayed cool in the IMC and
that must have been my saving grace. Went home and discovered my wife had
poured a shot of whiskey for me. Mission accomplished!

-gatt
Portland, OR

When I did the VOR hold during my checkride, the west side of the VOR
was in the sun, the east side was in IMC.

BTIZ wrote:
not many examiners I know of would go up in real IFR for a checkride with
someone they did not know... good job..

I did my instrument checkride with a real FAA guy I'd never met with broken
to overcast at 3,000-4,000 so we were in the clouds a lot.

"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:Ybzad.24871$_a3.7861@fed1read05...
not many examiners I know of would go up in real IFR for a checkride with
someone they did not know... good job..
BT

gatt: Big congrats and a well done.You must have used
up all your allotment of patience and sweat for an entire
year. :-)

Best of luck

Bob Barker PPASEL N8749S

"gatt" wrote in message
...

When the weather is bad and the examiner gives you the option of delaying
for better weather, don't say "Well, if I can't pass my checkride in IMC
I'm
probably not qualified for the IFR rating."

First attempt at the checkride. Icing forecast at 6,000. Examiner said
"No problem. We probably won't go much above four." The FIRST
instruction I got from Portland Approach was to hold over
Battleground...at
6,000. Lots of flying around in turbulence trying to maintain heading and
altitude, listening to PDX warn people about the weather.

Later, holding in IMC, was told it was 2003Z and to expect my next
clearance
at 2030Z.
Wonderful. So I held in IMC for about 20 minutes while the examiner
tracked
my course on his handheld GPS.

I'm not sure how I passed. He spent the first half hour of the oral
telling
me about how failure works, and not to be embarrassed by it, etc. I'm
not
in fact sure how I made it through the checkride without just saying "This
sucks. I'm going home." I made more mistakes and flew sloppier than any
training flight I've done in the last month. So I had already started
guessing which parts I passed and which I busted, and TWO HOURS after we
landed--he having asked questions like "So, how do YOU think you did?"--he
pulled out a booklet (me: 'here comes the dreaded pink slip'), asked for
my
logbook and then wrote my temporary endorsement. I couldn't believe my
eyes.

Wasn't a gold-medal performance, but he said I stayed cool in the IMC and
that must have been my saving grace. Went home and discovered my wife had
poured a shot of whiskey for me. Mission accomplished!

-gatt
Portland, OR

"gatt" wrote in message
...

When the weather is bad and the examiner gives you the option of delaying
for better weather, don't say "Well, if I can't pass my checkride in IMC
I'm
probably not qualified for the IFR rating."

I thought the same. And congratulations!

First attempt at the checkride. Icing forecast at 6,000. Examiner said
"No problem. We probably won't go much above four." The FIRST
instruction I got from Portland Approach was to hold over
Battleground...at
6,000. Lots of flying around in turbulence trying to maintain heading and
altitude, listening to PDX warn people about the weather.

I had a similar experience approaching my hold. The examiner, bless him,
murmured "outside temp is 34" and I told ATC "Unable, icing". They
immediately gave me a lower altitude.

I think I had the same experience as you: being able to keep my cool with
layers, icing, and an unexpectedly OTS VOR, helped compensate for, umm,
pushing the envelope of the PTS.

Now go fly some more clouds!

-- David Brooks

Congratulations!

David Brooks wrote:
First attempt at the checkride. Icing forecast at 6,000. Examiner said
"No problem. We probably won't go much above four." The FIRST
instruction I got from Portland Approach was to hold over Battleground...at
6,000. Lots of flying around in turbulence trying to maintain heading and
altitude, listening to PDX warn people about the weather.

I had a similar experience approaching my hold. The examiner, bless him,
murmured "outside temp is 34" and I told ATC "Unable, icing". They
immediately gave me a lower altitude.
I think I had the same experience as you: being able to keep my cool with
layers, icing, and an unexpectedly OTS VOR, helped compensate for, umm,
pushing the envelope of the PTS.

There you go! Never let ATC put you somewhere you don't want to be.
Sometimes you have to assert yourself, but know the rules and protect
yourself at all times.

In article ,
gatt wrote:

When the weather is bad and the examiner gives you the option of delaying
for better weather, don't say "Well, if I can't pass my checkride in IMC I'm
probably not qualified for the IFR rating."

I like that sentiment a lot better than some of the others I've seen
recently. If you can't fly in IMC right after 40 hours of training you
are going to be in trouble when you are barely managing to keep current!

instruction I got from Portland Approach was to hold over Battleground...at
6,000. [...]

Later, holding in IMC, was told it was 2003Z and to expect my next clearance
at 2030Z.


Hey, if you could hold for 20 minutes over BTG in actual without busting
PTS standards you deserve the rating just for that. Every hold I've flown
there involved large pitch changes on each leg to adjust to the gorge winds
blowing over the hill the VOR is on.

Interesting that your examiner went up in actual. The guy my CFII likes
now doesn't stay instrument current, so in actual he requires that the
CFII ride along for the practical test.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

"Ben Jackson" wrote in message news:qKAad.242855$

Interesting that your examiner went up in actual. The guy my CFII likes
now doesn't stay instrument current, so in actual he requires that the
CFII ride along for the practical test.

Wow! That was the exact situation: He rode in back and my CFII took the
right seat. There were a couple of times when I heard her exhale after I
did something well, and more than a couple where I fully expected a quick
elbow to the ribs. :

Maybe it's the same examiner. His name is Wiley. It's a hard ride home
when you sure you've failed and your CFII is sitting silently in the seat
next to you. The oral exam, by the way, covered almost nothing out of the
ASA Oral Prep guide which I've been studying for two friggin' weeks!

-c