Author Topic: First Checkride  (Read 36100 times)

Offline happylanding

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2006, 02:09:19 PM »

And the stuff that comes out of their mouths!  The DE asked about the numbers under the airport identifier on a sectional.  The airport happened to have pilot controlled lighting, so my student came up with "left angle 33".  Couldn't believe my ears.   :)  Turns out that meant pilot controlled lighting and the longest runway was 3300 ft.

what do you mean by pilot controlled lighting in a runway?!?
that you switch on/off the lights by the cockpit?!?!? Sorry, but you catch me unprepared and I've no idea about what you mean.... ??? ???

And about the stuff that comes out of their mouths....it will never stop. you sometimes have to say stupid things on radio, looks like a must!!! Congratulation my dear! |:)\
Here there isn't the habit about cutting shirts, I wouldn't have liked anyhow, since when I did my first solo in was the 5th of December, it could have been quite cold and embarassing and I went flying with Santa's hat!

« Last Edit: July 06, 2006, 02:12:45 PM by happylanding »
I give that landing a 9 . . . on the Richter scale.

Offline Gulfstream Driver

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2006, 02:23:17 AM »
At most uncontrolled airports here, you can control the runway lights by clicking the mike button a certain number of times when you're on the frequency for the airport. 

My now former student joined the army and went to school to be a controller.  It was really funny when he tripped up on the radio.   :D
Behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes.  --Bruce Almighty

Offline happylanding

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2006, 08:54:30 AM »
At most uncontrolled airports here, you can control the runway lights by clicking the mike button a certain number of times when you're on the frequency for the airport. 

I can't think about switching the lights on that way here: I would fall in love for such a thing and repeatedly switch on and off the lights!  :D but there is an old military airstrip (LSPM Ambrė) that is "hidden" in the mountains. around the rwy there is a small village (think about 300 people or more probably less)  and the rwy seems to be used as "square" of the village (no sunday market by the way!) and crosssing road to go anywhere else. so, when you have to land, you have to click on the mike button to descend barriers to avoid trespassers, and look around that nobody is strolling anymore there. I just went once there and made some circuits), since the rwy is inside a narrow V valley and it's not really a comfy place: to properly land you've to avoid too many things: wind streams, windshears, high voltage towers and cables.

 
I give that landing a 9 . . . on the Richter scale.

Offline Gulfstream Driver

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2006, 09:05:07 PM »
Wow.  That sounds like quite the strip.  Do they let civilians land there?
Behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes.  --Bruce Almighty

Offline happylanding

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2006, 01:18:59 AM »
Wow.  That sounds like quite the strip.  Do they let civilians land there?

Yes, you can land, even if in the oldest times it was a solely a military strip (and if you bought postcards of the valley, it seems that they were remade to cancel the strip, since it was a well kept military secret. I ignore if it's a metro legend or not, anyhow!). you can find some more info here:
http://www.ambri-airport.ch/   

As I told you, I just landed once (even if I did some T&G) and even if it's quite near from where I live (0035 minutes flight) I'm not sure I would land again. It's a quite difficult strip and  there are some tricky things. One is, for example, that even if you have N wind, it's better and anyhow safer if you tkoff direction south (that sound mad, but going north the acft won't gain any altitude due to the winds and the mountains get up a lot faster...!). last week there was an accident with a plane leaving this airport (a Cirrus SR20): he it the mountains :(

I give that landing a 9 . . . on the Richter scale.

Offline Gulfstream Driver

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2006, 04:18:21 AM »
One is, for example, that even if you have N wind, it's better and anyhow safer if you tkoff direction south (that sound mad, but going north the acft won't gain any altitude due to the winds and the mountains get up a lot faster...!). last week there was an accident with a plane leaving this airport (a Cirrus SR20): he it the mountains :(

We have strips like that here, too.  Well, not where I am, which is probably the flatest region on the planet, but out in the mountains that situation is quite common. 

Seems like if there's been a bad decision made by a pilot lately, it's been in a Cirrus...
Behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes.  --Bruce Almighty

Offline happylanding

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #21 on: July 09, 2006, 10:35:25 AM »
Good morning mates!

Yes, you never expect to hear about an accident in a Cirrus, since he has the parachute that makes you gently fall from the sky in case of seriously bad conditions. And it must not be beautiful to see the mountains approaching and getting bigger.  :o  But as soon as the scientific police will have done its work, we will know for sure what has happened. I think the guess now it's that he took off direction north and did not catch enough altitude to pass the Alps.  :( :(
I give that landing a 9 . . . on the Richter scale.

fireflyr

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #22 on: July 09, 2006, 02:14:33 PM »
Good morning mates!

Yes, you never expect to hear about an accident in a Cirrus, since he has the parachute that makes you gently fall from the sky in case of seriously bad conditions.

Like I've always said "parachutes are for emergencies only--don't depend on them to save your life" :-\

Offline happylanding

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #23 on: July 11, 2006, 05:48:53 PM »
Like I've always said "parachutes are for emergencies only--don't depend on them to save your life" :-\

Good point Fireflyr, good point! At the end, what saves your life is a good preparation, nothing else.

And I just hope that a bunging rope will be better that a parachute, since on Wednesday next week I will be trying it from a dam....anybody remembers goldeneye movie? the dam is 40 km away from where I live. As soon as I've seen the pictures I was changing my mind....
http://www.trekking.ch/eng/007.asp


I give that landing a 9 . . . on the Richter scale.

Offline chuckar101

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #24 on: December 09, 2006, 02:05:18 AM »
Okay since this is about checkrides, I was wondering if anybody had any tips on checkrides?  I have my private checkride in three to four weeks, depending on christmas and examiners.
WOW I did that!

undatc

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #25 on: December 09, 2006, 02:24:05 AM »
Okay since this is about checkrides, I was wondering if anybody had any tips on checkrides?  I have my private checkride in three to four weeks, depending on christmas and examiners.

Well, from what I learned on mine, and i unsat-ed quite a few of my stage checks and almost did my acutal check ride is to know your book work.  My orals were always 100% i set up and studied for each one the same way.  For instance, if i was asked about how the fuel system worked on my piper, i'd expand that question to include the fuel tanks, lines, strainers how the fuel gets there exploded, and then is taken out.  One, that shows you know your stuff, and two you also may knock out some other questions he may ask later on.  However be careful to not go too indepth were he can ask about something minute and trivial and you lose it there.

For the practical parts on mine i tried to make every flight the same.  I'd wear the same thing, always had my lucky sun glasses, and tried to imagine what i was doing before i did it. Id do the same walk around everytime, and I took my time.  If he told me to make a steep right turn, id go trough all the steps in my head, imagine doing it, then do it.  It takes a little longer but it keeps you from second guessing in the middle of the manuver.  Remember, your paying for the check ride, do it at your pace, not his.

Lastly, check lists are your friends.  I made flow sheets with key words for just about every phase of flight, from take off to landing, to shallow turns, to stalls etc.  Do what I did and you should pass, especially from someone who knows he belongs in a tower.

Offline chuckar101

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #26 on: December 10, 2006, 02:32:06 AM »
Thanks for the tips.  My biggest worry is the oral since I have a hell of a time telling somebody what I'm actually thinking.  Well and since I know I belong in the air good luck with that whole tower thing.
WOW I did that!

Offline Gulfstream Driver

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #27 on: December 11, 2006, 06:32:08 PM »
Also, know where to look stuff up.  You can use your books if you get stuck on the oral.  If you can find what you need quickly, that shows you at least know where to look if you get mixed up.  You can't do it too much, but once or twice is ok.

Good luck.
Behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes.  --Bruce Almighty

Offline Mike

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #28 on: December 12, 2006, 12:00:47 AM »
Also, know where to look stuff up.  You can use your books if you get stuck on the oral.  If you can find what you need quickly, that shows you at least know where to look if you get mixed up.  You can't do it too much, but once or twice is ok.

Good luck.

That is VERY GOOD advice!! I wanted to post the same thing. It's good to show you're resourceful.
But make sure you know all your maneuvers and everything you wouldn't be able to look up in the air at the top of your head.

Also keep in mind that, since 9/11 and the TFR incidents they had, the examiners HAVE to drill you about airspaces and charts.
Make sure you also know VFR minimums and such (again stuff you can't look up while flying)

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Offline chuckar101

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Re: First Checkride
« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2006, 01:42:18 AM »
Thanks for all the advice guys.  I'll definatel do all of the above.  Give me a few more weeks and fill the forum in on if I passed or busted.  Hopefully on the passed.
WOW I did that!