Advice Requested for Passing Instrument Checkride
Alan Pendley
I am scheduled to take my Instrument checkride on October 20. Any advice on
how to prepare for the checkride will be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
-Alan Pendley
Brenor Brophy
You can read about my IFR checkride at
http://www.brenorbrophy.com/IFR_Checkride.htm
My main advice would be get plenty of practice in over the next three weeks.
Use the time to go flying with one or two new CFII's (get a recommendation
from your own CFII) and ask them to treat the flight like a checkride. My
experience is that they will put you through the grinder far worse than the
DE. But, it will show up any weak areas you may have that you can work on
before the checkride. It will also build a lot of confidence.
If you have been using a PC simulator, now is the time to use it to brush up
on the procedural and technical aspects of flying. If you have an ADF in the
plane you will use for the checkride then fly a bunch of NBD approaches on
the sim, make sure to set it up so that it has real world wind conditions
that vary with altitude. Practice entering holds - the trick is to get used
to doing the mental part while flying the plane. This just gets easier the
more you practice it. Basically, practice the approaches for the equipment
you have in the plane and the likely airports you will fly to during the
checkride.
Make sure you know the basic stuff inside out - NORDO procedures, Filing for
alternate, Alternate minimums, VOR checks, known icing, reading the approach
plates and enroute charts.
If your CFII is like mine, then he has sent students to the same DE before
for the IFR checkride, ask to contact one of them to get a feel for how the
DE conducts the exam.
Most important, just try to relax. Your CFII wouldn't be sending you for the
test if you weren't ready and able to pass it.
-Brenor
"Alan Pendley" <a.pe...@att.net> wrote in message
news:Nz66d.445669$OB3.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Cecil Chapman
clover..... <GRIN> just kidding
Just be well-prepared and as much as is possible in a testing circumstance;
try to relax.... and good luck!
--
--
=-----
Good Flights!
Cecil
PP-ASEL-IA
Student - CP-ASEL
Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com
"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -
"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
A Lieberman
> Hello all,
>
> I am scheduled to take my Instrument checkride on October 20. Any advice on
> how to prepare for the checkride will be most appreciated.
Hi Alan,
First and foremost, you would not be scheduled if you were not ready, so
knowing that is 1/2 the battle.
Tips I would suggest since I am fresh off the block....
USE THE PTS CHECKLIST!!! It will save your bacon.
For the Oral part:
Get to the airport at least 2 hours early, get all the paper laid out on
the table (you will need a large table) with the airplane log books
bookmarked with all the appropriate inspections (.411 and .413 pitot static
and transponder), last annual, last elt check, battery replacement and so
on). Have it marked so you can readily identify each. I used post-its
marked with each inspection. The more organization you show on the oral,
the better the oral will go.
Have your flight plan, your navigation log, maps all highlighted and
organized. I printed my DUATS briefing, printed the radars, and sigmets
maps so I had everything with me to explain why I made decisions the way I
did.
Know your V speeds of your plane. Know ARROW, GRABCARD.
Know how to read TAF's METARs, be able to explain various icing and so on.
Know why you selected your alternate airport for your IFR flight plan. The
DE liked that I selected an airport BEFORE my destination with the
knowledge that there would be a better chance of me flying from good
weather to bad, and turning back into better weather was a good choice.
For the practical:
My DE told me where to plan for (MBO to LIT). If you know where you are
planning your IFR "cross country" for your test, take a practice flight to
the first intersection. I wish I would have done it, as it was over 2
months since I had tracked a VOR. I didn't have any problems but I didn't
expect to go as far as to the first intersection. Be able to identify when
you get to the intersection whether it be by DME or intersecting VOR
radials.
I asked my DE to attend my preflight. I vocalized EVERYTHING. (on sumping
of fuel, I said out loud, blue tint to the fuel, no water, no debris) I
even asked him for opinions of what could make me even safer then what I
am. The more you talk, the less chance the DE gets a chance to ask
questions!
Practice partial panels. Practice partial panels and practice partial
panels.
VOCALIZE what you are looking at, what you feel, if something is wrong,
acknowledge it AND CORRECT IT. If I was looking at the instrument, I would
say what it read, so he could hear what I was looking at. On my ILS, I
would "talk to myself OUT LOUD", High on glideslope, fix it, left of
localizer, fix it, so he would know what I was looking at and know what to
expect from what I was saying. I would say, descending one thousand five
hundred for five hundred forty one foot decision height so he would know I
was aware what DH was for the ILS at all times.
I once found myself drifting 80 feet higher then assigned altituded, I
pointed it out to the DE, and immediately corrected it. I was figuring the
DE expects deviations, but don't let the deviations compound themselves by
not acknowledging it.
Hope this helps!
Allen
Gene Whitt
What a wonderful, concise statment of advice. I do hope you go on for your
CFI. I know you love to fly but there is far more satisfaction in teaching
others to love flying.
Gene
"A Lieberman" <lieb...@myself.com> wrote in message
news:x9tnjwq7j7g7.z6ogd684d9fe$.dlg@40tude.net...
A Lieberman
> Allen,
> What a wonderful, concise statment of advice. I do hope you go on for your
> CFI. I know you love to fly but there is far more satisfaction in teaching
> others to love flying.
> Gene
Hi Gene,
Thanks for the compliments. Ironically enough, after all the signoffs on
my instrument ticket, I mention to the DE, "see you when I go for my
commercial", and he mentioned that he would rather see me for my CFI.
You are so right about sharing the love of flying.
I just went through my logbook, and I had the honors of introducing 7
people to the wonderful world of flight. None of these people had ever
left the ground. I had the honors of introducing another 3 people to
general aviation (flown commercial, but never GA). Ages ranged from 9
years old to 51 years old. All ten people left with a satisfaction that I
cannot describe in words. Of course all my flights were done one hour
before sunset *big smile*, so having a front row seat to Mother Natures
magic in silk smooth air always is a bonus!
Just like for my check rides, when I have a new passenger, I take the
passenger briefing very seriously. Before even buckling the seatbelt, I go
over the "essential" instruments such as the attitude indicator (blue up is
always good :=) , airspeed, climb rate, altitude and of course the moving
map GPS using my finger to point out the instruments. I know that people
who have never sat in the "front seat" of an airplane go through sensory
overload, so I do my best to explain the simple things of flying in plain
English.
Before preflight, I explain the plane goes through three series of tests
before takeoff (preflight, control check at runup and then I say I am
checking the spark plugs and carberator for runup). I call the flaps "air
brakes" so they understand what they do rather then remember the technical
name.
My best comment about flying and safety, is I always ask the first time
passenger, when was the last time they physically walked around their car
and physically check / "kicked" the tires. I have yet to get a person to
say they have done so. And my answer right back is that this is why flying
is safer. I always tell them it's far better to find out the problem on
the ground then find out in the air. I tell them, I have very strict
safety standards. If anything fails on the ground, we don't fly. I also
tell them, I would much rather dissapoint you in not flying then
dissapointing them in the air.
In flight, I explain that ATC are my friends, and to expect to hear
commercial airlines talking. I ask my passenger to listen for my tail
number and if they hear it, to remain quiet as I will need to talk. They
all are amazed we share the same airspace with the Delta, US Scares, and
Southwest. I love explaining to them that we are just as important as a
Southwest flight.
On landing, I always give my passengers a before landing briefing, that
things will be getting quieter in the cockpit (reduction of engine power),
I explain that I am going to use the "air brakes" (flaps) to slow the plane
down, to expect a slight pitch down and I always tell them the speed I
expect the wheels to touch down at. I had one person who simply could not
understand how the plane kept flying with reduced power. I just smiled and
said, this is the magic of flying without going into the technical details.
My short term plans are to take a rest from training. I plan to sign up
for Angel Flights as I want to be able to give back what I enjoy from
General Aviation. And in about 6 to 9 months, I will start to look at
additional ratings.
I really appreciate the time and experience you share on your website as
well as the newsgroups! "Networking" sure is wonderful!
Allen
markm
full proceedure. give you lots more time to settle down.
And know your partial panel and timed turns.
If you get off say so and correct, they won't bust your balls/balletts if
they know you're on it.
And use the checlist outloud.
I've found that check rides are a whole lot easier than prog/stage checks.
m
"Alan Pendley" <a.pe...@att.net> wrote in message
news:Nz66d.445669$OB3.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Chris
My DPE knew I was nervous and said relax.
I was going through the steep turns had afterwards he said that would have
been easier If I had been breathing. By the time I was coming to the end of
the turn to the right, I was getting a bit ragged and managed to hold it
together but by then I had been holding my breath for over a minute.
Oxygen helps!
I know this is not as erudite a comment as others but it is right on the
back of a checkride done on Monday and is about as current as possible.
Chris