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#11
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
If you have a flight sim on your PC, use it. Right before I took my CFII
ride, I practiced a DME arc at the airport where the examiner was. Botched it horribly. Tried again later & got it. A few days later on my checkride, I had to "teach" the examiner that same arc (although it was around the other side). That bit of practice probably saved me from a re-test. I agree with other people's comments. An examiner actually *hopes* for a few small mistakes to see how you correct for them. "Terence Wilson" wrote in message ... I'm scheduled for the instrument check-ride in a couple of weeks. I feel like I can perform within the PTS, but I'm a little" rough around the edges" and prone to at least one stupid screw-up per flight, most of the time I catch the screw-ups myself and fix them in a reasonable time. That said, I was wondering whether the experienced contributers here might offer some advice for the day of my check-ride. My main concern is that I might be so nervous that I bungle the easy stuff. Best, Terence |
#12
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
Consider using tinyurl.com for links like that por favor.
Ron Lee First timer here with tinyURL, hopefully will work :-) http://tinyurl.com/3bh23p Allen Flying videos at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=BeechSundowner |
#13
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
Terence,
This is a general comment and not aimed specifically at you, but... It amazes me, in terms of human psychology, that pilots fear more for a checkride than for a real IFR flight. The worst that happens in a checkride is a pink slip followed by a white slip the following week. But on a real IFR flight, well that's like playing a video game with one quarter. The NTSB files are littered with accidents with just one stupid screw up. If a pilot is making (at least) "one stupid screw-up" per flight, it is advisable (IMHO) for that pilot to question his/her safety level on a real IFR flight. GA pilots about to go for the checkride are probably at their most proficient point of their lives, although obviously not the most experienced. If a pilot is making a "stupid screw-up" at this point then what is going to happen when the destination goes below minimums, the winds aloft pick up and the fuel level starts getting low, passengers start feel sick, one or more instruments fail... you get the idea. Don't sweat the checkride, sweat real-life. If you're ready to embark on an IFR flight safely, then the checkride is no sweat. If not, call your CFI and smoothen out those edges until you are - this is a continual process, not just a pre-checkride thing. OK, enough preaching, fly well on the checkride and verbalize as you do things (if it helps) and talk through mistakes you make. The odds are that the DE sees them before they happen. Hilton "Terence Wilson" wrote in message ... I'm scheduled for the instrument check-ride in a couple of weeks. I feel like I can perform within the PTS, but I'm a little" rough around the edges" and prone to at least one stupid screw-up per flight, most of the time I catch the screw-ups myself and fix them in a reasonable time. That said, I was wondering whether the experienced contributers here might offer some advice for the day of my check-ride. My main concern is that I might be so nervous that I bungle the easy stuff. Best, Terence |
#14
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:55:32 -0800, "Hilton"
wrote: Terence, This is a general comment and not aimed specifically at you, but... It amazes me, in terms of human psychology, that pilots fear more for a checkride than for a real IFR flight. The worst that happens in a checkride is a pink slip followed by a white slip the following week. But on a real IFR flight, well that's like playing a video game with one quarter. The NTSB files are littered with accidents with just one stupid screw up. If a pilot is making (at least) "one stupid screw-up" per flight, it is advisable (IMHO) for that pilot to question his/her safety level on a real IFR flight. GA pilots about to go for the checkride are probably at their most proficient point of their lives, although obviously not the most experienced. If a pilot is making a "stupid screw-up" at this point then what is going to happen when the destination goes below minimums, the winds aloft pick up and the fuel level starts getting low, passengers start feel sick, one or more instruments fail... you get the idea. Don't sweat the checkride, sweat real-life. If you're ready to embark on an IFR flight safely, then the checkride is no sweat. If not, call your CFI and smoothen out those edges until you are - this is a continual process, not just a pre-checkride thing. OK, enough preaching, fly well on the checkride and verbalize as you do things (if it helps) and talk through mistakes you make. The odds are that the DE sees them before they happen. Hilton Thanks Hilton. Regarding the "stupid screw-up" comment I made, I had thought the context would have made it evident that by "stupid" I didn't mean dangerous or life-threatening, rather stupid in the sense that it could get me a pink-slip. For example, calling ground before receiving the ATIS or twisting the OBS before starting the turn or using a parallel entry when it should have been a teardrop. My CFII is a very well respected 5500 hour ATP, a little more expensive than the rest, but well worth it. I don't consider myself to be a very good student, but he keeps saying I'm ready for the checkride, so go figure! And trust me, I do sweat real-life. Everytime time I fly, checkride or not, I think about everything that could go wrong. |
#15
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
Terence Wilson wrote:
Thanks Hilton. Regarding the "stupid screw-up" comment I made, I had thought the context would have made it evident that by "stupid" I didn't mean dangerous or life-threatening, rather stupid in the sense that it could get me a pink-slip. For example, calling ground before receiving the ATIS or twisting the OBS before starting the turn or using a parallel entry when it should have been a teardrop. ....and none of these would get you busted - not even close. I wouldn't even clasify these as mistakes let alone "stupid mistakes". The PTS does not specify the hold entry. I teach the student to do the most logical one without putzing with wierd finger positions and gadgets. My CFII is a very well respected 5500 hour ATP, a little more expensive than the rest, but well worth it. I don't consider myself to be a very good student, but he keeps saying I'm ready for the checkride, so go figure! If your only mistakes are the ones you've mentioned above, looks like you chose you CFI wisely and he did a good job. And trust me, I do sweat real-life. Everytime time I fly, checkride or not, I think about everything that could go wrong. OK, but also remember to have fun! Oh, while I'm on my "safety before white slip" preaching, you gonna ask the DE to do clearing turns before your various maneuvers under the hood? It's your ass up there. If my DE said "No, don't worry about them.", as PIC I'd insist we do them. Just because the DE says you don't need them doesn't negate the laws of physics. There is a caveat. If you've just done various turns, he might have (probably) used those for clearing turns, so you're good to go, but make sure that clearing turns have been done. Hilton |
#16
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
"Terence Wilson" wrote in message ... I'm scheduled for the instrument check-ride in a couple of weeks. I feel like I can perform within the PTS, but I'm a little" rough around the edges" and prone to at least one stupid screw-up per flight, most of the time I catch the screw-ups myself and fix them in a reasonable time. That said, I was wondering whether the experienced contributers here might offer some advice for the day of my check-ride. My main concern is that I might be so nervous that I bungle the easy stuff. Best, Terence Terence, My advice is more about physiology than the flying bit. You would not be going for the checkride if your instructor thought it was going to be a bust so don't worry about it too much. Do make sure your energy levels are right and that you have plenty of fluids. The temptation is to let your nerves starve you before the event. The brain and the muscles needs energy to function for the period you are with the examiner so make sure you have a good breakfast or lunch before the test starts and perhaps have a banana or energy bar before you go and do the flying. If there is the chance of a catnap before the DPE turns up take one too but no more than 15 minutes. As a final point, I always talk to myself during the test. If I screw up and then pick it up then the DPE knows (positive) and if I screw up and don't pick it up, then the DPE knows (negative) and could pick it up too especially if it is a safety critical matter. Ok it might mean having to redo the checkride but hey - you are both safe. If you cannot be honest with yourself, then the cockpit in IFR is not the place to be. |
#17
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
Don't worry about being perceived as too chatty. Smart instrument pilots act
as their own co-pilot, making callouts and briefing approaches. You can do something dumb in silence and never notice it, but for some reason saying it out loud rings alarm bells. Bob Gardner "Terence Wilson" wrote in message ... On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:12:58 -0800, "Bob Gardner" wrote: Ex-examiner here..... Talk. Let the examiner know what your thought processes are. If you catch things going awry, tell the examiner what is happening and how you are correcting. The real deal-killer is when the examiner doesn't realize that you are aware of an error because you think that s/he won't notice it. Good luck!! Bob Gardner Bob, thanks for the tip. Do you recommend talking my way through the check-ride, for example, when I'm executing the 5 T's or 5 A's should I say what I am doing or would that be too chatty? |
#18
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
On Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:14:07 -0800, "Bob Gardner"
wrote: Don't worry about being perceived as too chatty. Smart instrument pilots act as their own co-pilot, making callouts and briefing approaches. You can do something dumb in silence and never notice it, but for some reason saying it out loud rings alarm bells. I explained to the DE that I normally talk to myself and call out things as I do them, as "Oops, watch the altitude, getting a little high, The wind has me paralleling the airway about a half mile to the left, about 15 degrees (or what ever I think is right) should get me onto centerline where I'll resume this heading. The last one happened and he said, that's good enough, you know where we are, what's happening and why, lets go do something else. Coming up to the VOR (the hold was at the VOR) with a strong 90 degree cross wind we were just a bit left of course, I explained we were coming up on the VOR and this close I wasn't going to bother with a correction as it would just have me turning early. I'd make the allowance outbound and see how the next inbound went. I made lots of mistakes but I called out each one as I recognized it and what I was going to do to correct. He was happy. Roger (K8RI) Bob Gardner "Terence Wilson" wrote in message .. . On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:12:58 -0800, "Bob Gardner" wrote: Ex-examiner here..... Talk. Let the examiner know what your thought processes are. If you catch things going awry, tell the examiner what is happening and how you are correcting. The real deal-killer is when the examiner doesn't realize that you are aware of an error because you think that s/he won't notice it. Good luck!! Bob Gardner Bob, thanks for the tip. Do you recommend talking my way through the check-ride, for example, when I'm executing the 5 T's or 5 A's should I say what I am doing or would that be too chatty? |
#19
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
On Dec 26, 12:44*pm, Terence Wilson wrote:
I'm scheduled for the instrument check-ride in a couple of weeks. I feel like I can perform within the PTS, but I'm a little" rough around the edges" and prone to at least one stupid screw-up per flight, most of the time I catch the screw-ups myself and fix them in a reasonable time. That said, I was wondering whether the experienced contributers here might offer some advice for the day of my check-ride. My main concern is that I might be so nervous that I bungle the easy stuff. Most of us make the last flight with the CFII so hard that you'll believe the checkride was easy! -Robert, CFII |
#20
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Seeking advice- checkride tips
I agree.
"Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... The best advice is to simply catch and correct the screw-ups in a timely manner. That will cut it with most DEs assuming the screw-ups don't make is such that "the outcome of the maneuver or flight" is in question. Few of us fly perfect flights. The key is to keep the mistakes few and minor and correct them promptly. It doesn't take a perfect flight to pass a check ride. It does take decent flying skill and sound judgment. For example, if you both an approach such that you aren't stabilized sufficiently for landing, go around! Trying to salvage a good landing from a bad approach typically isn't wise and likely will lose points on the judgment front. Matt |
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