Private Pilot Checkride

[thinman]

Another little dilemma for the newcomer.

Last night I took the checkride to try and obtain a private pilot certificate.
The starting point was Brementon Nat'l, and I was to fly to Tacoma Narrows. Prior to taking off I was told that once I got to Tacoma to enter the downwind leg, fly the base leg and land.

The examiner then said to climb to 2000 ft . I did so. I was then to make a left turn to 90 degrees. Did that. Next the lady said to made a 360 degree "C" turn to the left. Did this, and headed for Tacoma. I was not told at what altitude to fly the downwind leg, so I dropped down to 1500 ft. Did the base leg and then landed. Since telling me to do the 360 degree turn I did not hear from the examiner after that. I was also told prior to taking off, that if I did not do the precedure I was told to do, something would be said. Like a warning maybe. If I messed up badly though, then I would be sent back for more training by Ron. I do not know if I passed or not, and if so, how to get the certificate to print.

I guess to make a long story short is....am I missing something here or maybe don't understand everything I should know about this checkride?

Bob

[Flying Officer Jevans]

The PPL has some strange bugs in it. I think you have to do a right hand traffic pattern, or something like that. It's very weird. IMO, don't bother, you know you can fly, and we know you can fly.:)

Hint: If you just want the certificate, the image is in the Uires folder.;)

[CPSBruce]

Are you sure you did a full 360 degree left turn? Those checkrides are pretty precise, whereas the lessons are more tolerant if you're off a couple degrees.

[thinman]

Are you sure you did a full 360 degree left turn? Those checkrides are pretty precise, whereas the lessons are more tolerant if you're off a couple degrees.

I did. At least I'm pretty sure. I went completely around from 90 degrees back to the same heading. Based on what the examiner said, if I didn't do it right I'd hear about it.

Bob

[Flying Officer Jevans]

Oh, don't worry. Once you discover the joys of fighter jets, you'll be able to this sort of thing by flipping the jet on it's side and pulling all the way back. I tried this one in a (real) Grob Tutor. Wham! Good job I was wearing a bone dome.

[NikeHerk67]

Another little dilemma for the newcomer.

Last night I took the checkride to try and obtain a private pilot certificate.
The starting point was Brementon Nat'l, and I was to fly to Tacoma Narrows. Prior to taking off I was told that once I got to Tacoma to enter the downwind leg, fly the base leg and land.

The examiner then said to climb to 2000 ft . I did so. I was then to make a left turn to 90 degrees. Did that. Next the lady said to made a 360 degree "C" turn to the left. Did this, and headed for Tacoma. I was not told at what altitude to fly the downwind leg, so I dropped down to 1500 ft. Did the base leg and then landed. Since telling me to do the 360 degree turn I did not hear from the examiner after that. I was also told prior to taking off, that if I did not do the precedure I was told to do, something would be said. Like a warning maybe. If I messed up badly though, then I would be sent back for more training by Ron. I do not know if I passed or not, and if so, how to get the certificate to print.

I guess to make a long story short is....am I missing something here or maybe don't understand everything I should know about this checkride?

Bob

Hi Bob

Keep in mind the 360 degree turn is a steep turn....see lesson two.
Stay within +/- 100 feet and within 10 degrees of the heading.

Try to keep the IAS at 100 kts during the check ride.

The first maneuver is a turn to a heading of 90 degrees. (at a regular bank angle of 30 degrees.
The second maneuver is a 360 degree steep turn to the left. (maintain a bank angle of 45 degrees)

If she (the instructor) doesn't say great job after each of these first two maneuvers you're toast. :)
You may as well start over.

After she says great job she'll tell you to fly 120 degrees to Tacoma. You can stay at 2000 feet although she doesn't say this.

When arriving at Tacoma Narrows at 2000' and 100 knots, heading 120 degrees, don't be too concerned about turning to down wind exactly when she says turn to a heading 180 degrees. Just decrease altitude at your discretion to 1300 feet alt.

Fly the pattern at 1300' alt. Since the airport elevation is 300' the pattern should be flown at 1000' AGL (above ground level) not 1000' alt.

Slow to 80 knots and apply 10 degrees of flaps sometime on the downwind preferably just before tuning onto the base leg. Once you're on base you can apply the flaps to full and slow to 75 knots when or before you turn to final.

Try to maintain 75 knots during the final approach. Begin you flare at about 350 to 400 feet altitude (50 -100 feet AGL)

When you've passed a certificate will pop up on the screen after you've stopped. Wait a few seconds after you've come to a complete stop. Somethimes it's a bit slow other times it pops right up when you stop.

Let us know when you achieve you're goal.
As the folks said above. If you don't complete it, no big deal. :)

Good Luck!

[Captain Smithy]

Ah, the famous FS checkrides, that old chestnut!

Basically the thing to do (easier said than done) is to do exactly what FS tells you and to fly everything as accurately as possible. Forget the limits e.g. +200 feet, +5 degrees etc., if FS tells you to fly at 2000 feet on a heading of 360 then fly it at 2000 feet on 360 degrees... it's frustrating but you'll eventually get it!

To be honest I didn't find the Private checkride that difficult, but the IR and Commercials had me foaming rabidly at the mouth and rocking violently back-and-forth in my strait jacket.

Sent me bloody buggering doolally that did. :rolleyes:

Smithy

[thinman]

Let us know when you achieve you're goal.
As the folks said above. If you don't complete it, no big deal. :)

Good Luck!

Thanks Herk,

I'm going to keep trying. If for nothing else just to know that I completed the checkride. But in the meantime, completing it or not, I'm going to keep flying to other places in other aircraft for the pure pleasure of it.

Bob

[NikeHerk67]

Thanks Herk,

I'm going to keep trying. If for nothing else just to know that I completed the checkride. But in the meantime, completing it or not, I'm going to keep flying to other places in other aircraft for the pure pleasure of it.

Bob

Bob,

you're welcome!

When you pass it, make sure you have ink in the color printer and have it ready to go so you can make some wall paper.

Someone suggested you can cheat by finding the file, so don't forget to take a screen shot as well. You'd have to be quite a programmer and artist to fake that. :)

Most importantly, keep havin fun. :)

With great risk of a flaming, here's a sample.....never have figured out what the privileges were though???...couldn't even get a free coffee at the 1000 or so places I tried.....but if you get an original version of FS2000, which included a paperback user's manual, you could get a free introductory flight lesson, with one of the pages, at a certified Cessna Flight School...that i did get...if you look at it the other way, it was like getting MSFS2K free....

[Flying Officer Jevans]

Yeah, the FS2K checkride is easy. I did it using MOUSE YOKE:eek: when my joystick went belly-up.

[NikeHerk67]

Yeah, the FS2K checkride is easy. I did it using MOUSE YOKE:eek: when my joystick went belly-up.

Yes, once Rod told you to land at Meigs RW18, you could do a 360 degree roll in C182, land, and still pass, :) But the ATP's were harder in FS7 and FS8 than in FS9 or FSX. You couldn't use the autopilot at all then. I'd be willing to wager you didn't do those with the MOUSE YOKE. :D

[Flying Officer Jevans]

I'd be willing to wager you didn't do those with the MOUSE YOKE. :D

No, I'm not that old!:D