The moment of truth - my upcoming Check Ride
At last, I am here folks ... I have completed a demanding, fun filled and very adventurous IFR training course. I have started in the most unconventional manner -- a complex international x-country flight to Toronto as my first IFR training flight which included a diversion to Buffalo -- been through thunderstorms, turbulent clouds, nine states and two countries, late night arrivals in small and uncontrolled airports, day-time adventure with a non-precision approach into VFR filled traffic at a small field in NYC, approach and landing to minimums of 100' over TDZE in KBED, and every possible combination of real and simulated IFR conditions with my two trusted instructors Mike Schwartz and Raymond de Haan.
And now, after nearly 50 hours of training, I am scheduled to take to the skies over Virginia with David Pearce next Wednesday, November 4th, for my ultimate Checkride. David has asked me to prepare an IFR flight plan to Cincinnati (KLUK) and I have done that. I have prepared thoroughly for my Oral Exam by reading and devouring every available resource and I have practiced the approaches to W99, KOKV, KMRB, KFDK and many others numerous times in the real world and in our simulator at home.
So stay tuned folks and I will update you about my up-coming Checkride ....
I DID IT!
And now, after nearly 50 hours of training, I am scheduled to take to the skies over Virginia with David Pearce next Wednesday, November 4th, for my ultimate Checkride. David has asked me to prepare an IFR flight plan to Cincinnati (KLUK) and I have done that. I have prepared thoroughly for my Oral Exam by reading and devouring every available resource and I have practiced the approaches to W99, KOKV, KMRB, KFDK and many others numerous times in the real world and in our simulator at home.
So stay tuned folks and I will update you about my up-coming Checkride ....
I DID IT!
A most thrilling experience ... at last
Twenty six years after I received my Private Pilot License (PPL), in what was a most memorable moment in my life, today I completed my Instrument checkride with David Pearce -- arguably a much more demanding checkride and equally thrilling!
Yesterday I arrive at Lessburg (KJYO) airport at Aviation Adventures to do a pre-checkride checkride with Raymond de Haan. Well, it was going to be a day of surprises. Raymond wasn't there and the trusty 182T that I had used all these months to train for my IFR had just reported a faulty starter and the spare part would take at least three days to arrive. For a moment I thought I have again lost the opportunity to do my checkride. Well, Raymond finally arrived in the afternoon having had an potential emergency (landing gear light not on) before landing at KJYO. He had to return to another airport where repairs were being done to that twin aircraft. When he arrived, we decided to switch to a C-172S instead. Hmmm ... changing the plane one day before the checkride -- not recommended and definitely not conventional. But then again, nothing about my IFR journey had been conventional.
We started with a briefing of the Oral exam and I asked him many questions which were of a complex nature. Then we jumped into the 172 -- AVL30 or Sky Ventures 30! This one also had G1000 installed, so there was a lot of familiarity. However, the autopilot was not the KFC700, but rather Bendix/King KAP 140. They function very differently and the KAP 140 is not integrated fully with the G1000. Well, after a few approaches, circle-to-land, misses, holds, etc. we finally completed our flight well into the night.
This morning, I went to KJYO, prepared all the paperwork (Plane, Pilot, Plan) including the electronic application and reviewed last minute matters with Raymond and then we jumped into the Flight Sim and practiced a few approaches, unusual attitudes, partial panel and more. All went quiet well.
David Pearce came around 1:30pm. After doing the basic paperwork and capturing my electronic application, we delved right into the Oral Exam.
The Oral Exam
Its hard to say what the examiner will ask in the Instrument Oral, but you can bet he/she will ask enough to see if you "get it". David Pearce is a very practical pilot with a lot of experience. He wants to know if you will be a safe IFR pilot, period. All the usual stuff was there and it all started with my prepared flight plan to Cincinnati (KLUK). Altitudes, weather, choice of alternate, choice of route, etc. But also a few big ones for him was lost communications in IMC conditions and dealing with emergencies. He asked about fuel reserve and I said something like "Fly to your destination, the to your alternate and then have 45 mins reserve" he nodded, but then qualified my answer by saying: "enough fuel to fly to your destination and shoot an instrument approach, then execute a missed approach and climb, then proceed to the alternate and shoot an instrument approach there, then taxi out and stop the airplane and after shut-down, still have 45 minutes of fuel left." For a brief moment I thought he was splitting hair, but he discussed a couple of important real life examples where they could have been potentially illegal if he was not that particular.
After about 45 minutes he complimented my knowledge of the stuff and said I seemed to have prepared well. Truth is that he was right. I had read and re-read every possible Oral exam guide on the net and in print. I had checked and cross checked every question I did not understand and made sure by the time of the Oral, I am fully proficient in them.
The Practical Test
David then asked me to file a flight plan to KOVK (Winchester) and let's go flying. I informed him that I had checked the FDC Notams for KOVK and the ILS localizer and GS are inoperative. I also informed him that KMRB (Martinsburg) airport also has an ILS problem in that its GS is inoperative, rendering the ILS into a LOC non-precision approach only. That left us to one airport nearby and that was KFDK (Fredrick, MD) which has an ILS approach. We filed a round-robin KJYO-KFDK-KJYO flight plan via STILL MRB EMI and we went to the plane.
To my surprise our clearance was smooth, but I knew things would get heated up as KJYO is only 10 miles away from KIAD (Dulles International Airport) and 20 miles away from KDCA (Reagan National) and Andrews Airforce Base and surrounded by many other smaller and busy airports. When we were airborne, it sure was busy. Traffic poured all over us. We were vectored left and right and finally were cleared to the ILS Rwy 23. KFDK is an uncontrolled airport and at the time of our approach it was busy with a lot of traffic. Since it is just outside of DC SFRA, it is a very popular airport for general and business aviation aircraft (just be careful when you execute a missed approach as you may inadvertently clip the edges of the DC SFRA which is a BIG NO NO violation.
The ILS 23 was very smooth and I managed to keep Localizer and Glideslope on the mark all the way. I hand flew the approach, which David said was "a lot more fun"! We then went missed and went to shoot the VOR-A approach which also went well. We then asked for clearance direct to KJYO for the LOC 17 approach to Leesburg. Along the way, we had plenty of opportunity for maneuvers of all kinds, interspersed with one of the heaviest ATC communications conditions and very heavy VFR traffic. David was all eyes and asked for my help to ID traffic a couple of times. On approach to Leesburg, we canceled and I hand-flew the approach manually instead of using the GPS. We had to have a few fancy maneuvers to sequence the traffic and finally after about 1.5 hours, we touched gently on terra firma!
As we taxied toward the apron, my trusted instructor, Raymond de Haan was awaiting our arrival. It had been an exhausting couple of days and a long journey to here. One is always nervous for a checkride. That is a normal thing. Raymond had felt very confident and comfortable with me in the "IFR System", but I could not help think that he might have had a bit of anxiety too. Will he pass? Will it be marginal? hmmmmm
So, as we shut down and opened the door. I asked David what he thought of the flight. He said: "You did some fine flying today! It must be good enough for the Chinese Air Force!" and then he smiled. I smiled and Raymond smiled with a distinct relief. He came forward -- always the gentleman and shook my hands and simple said: "Congratulations"!
I can't tell you how thrilled and exhilarated I was. This was a big moment. I had wanted this so much and finally it had come to pass. It was not an easily accomplished task, but finally the whole system had fallen into place in my mind and I felt comfortable to be part of it. The months of grueling practice had paid off.
Now, my temporary license has one extra word on it -- "Instrument"!
Here's what it means and how one gets here ... enjoy ...
Yesterday I arrive at Lessburg (KJYO) airport at Aviation Adventures to do a pre-checkride checkride with Raymond de Haan. Well, it was going to be a day of surprises. Raymond wasn't there and the trusty 182T that I had used all these months to train for my IFR had just reported a faulty starter and the spare part would take at least three days to arrive. For a moment I thought I have again lost the opportunity to do my checkride. Well, Raymond finally arrived in the afternoon having had an potential emergency (landing gear light not on) before landing at KJYO. He had to return to another airport where repairs were being done to that twin aircraft. When he arrived, we decided to switch to a C-172S instead. Hmmm ... changing the plane one day before the checkride -- not recommended and definitely not conventional. But then again, nothing about my IFR journey had been conventional.
We started with a briefing of the Oral exam and I asked him many questions which were of a complex nature. Then we jumped into the 172 -- AVL30 or Sky Ventures 30! This one also had G1000 installed, so there was a lot of familiarity. However, the autopilot was not the KFC700, but rather Bendix/King KAP 140. They function very differently and the KAP 140 is not integrated fully with the G1000. Well, after a few approaches, circle-to-land, misses, holds, etc. we finally completed our flight well into the night.
This morning, I went to KJYO, prepared all the paperwork (Plane, Pilot, Plan) including the electronic application and reviewed last minute matters with Raymond and then we jumped into the Flight Sim and practiced a few approaches, unusual attitudes, partial panel and more. All went quiet well.
David Pearce came around 1:30pm. After doing the basic paperwork and capturing my electronic application, we delved right into the Oral Exam.
The Oral Exam
Its hard to say what the examiner will ask in the Instrument Oral, but you can bet he/she will ask enough to see if you "get it". David Pearce is a very practical pilot with a lot of experience. He wants to know if you will be a safe IFR pilot, period. All the usual stuff was there and it all started with my prepared flight plan to Cincinnati (KLUK). Altitudes, weather, choice of alternate, choice of route, etc. But also a few big ones for him was lost communications in IMC conditions and dealing with emergencies. He asked about fuel reserve and I said something like "Fly to your destination, the to your alternate and then have 45 mins reserve" he nodded, but then qualified my answer by saying: "enough fuel to fly to your destination and shoot an instrument approach, then execute a missed approach and climb, then proceed to the alternate and shoot an instrument approach there, then taxi out and stop the airplane and after shut-down, still have 45 minutes of fuel left." For a brief moment I thought he was splitting hair, but he discussed a couple of important real life examples where they could have been potentially illegal if he was not that particular.
After about 45 minutes he complimented my knowledge of the stuff and said I seemed to have prepared well. Truth is that he was right. I had read and re-read every possible Oral exam guide on the net and in print. I had checked and cross checked every question I did not understand and made sure by the time of the Oral, I am fully proficient in them.
The Practical Test
David then asked me to file a flight plan to KOVK (Winchester) and let's go flying. I informed him that I had checked the FDC Notams for KOVK and the ILS localizer and GS are inoperative. I also informed him that KMRB (Martinsburg) airport also has an ILS problem in that its GS is inoperative, rendering the ILS into a LOC non-precision approach only. That left us to one airport nearby and that was KFDK (Fredrick, MD) which has an ILS approach. We filed a round-robin KJYO-KFDK-KJYO flight plan via STILL MRB EMI and we went to the plane.
To my surprise our clearance was smooth, but I knew things would get heated up as KJYO is only 10 miles away from KIAD (Dulles International Airport) and 20 miles away from KDCA (Reagan National) and Andrews Airforce Base and surrounded by many other smaller and busy airports. When we were airborne, it sure was busy. Traffic poured all over us. We were vectored left and right and finally were cleared to the ILS Rwy 23. KFDK is an uncontrolled airport and at the time of our approach it was busy with a lot of traffic. Since it is just outside of DC SFRA, it is a very popular airport for general and business aviation aircraft (just be careful when you execute a missed approach as you may inadvertently clip the edges of the DC SFRA which is a BIG NO NO violation.
The ILS 23 was very smooth and I managed to keep Localizer and Glideslope on the mark all the way. I hand flew the approach, which David said was "a lot more fun"! We then went missed and went to shoot the VOR-A approach which also went well. We then asked for clearance direct to KJYO for the LOC 17 approach to Leesburg. Along the way, we had plenty of opportunity for maneuvers of all kinds, interspersed with one of the heaviest ATC communications conditions and very heavy VFR traffic. David was all eyes and asked for my help to ID traffic a couple of times. On approach to Leesburg, we canceled and I hand-flew the approach manually instead of using the GPS. We had to have a few fancy maneuvers to sequence the traffic and finally after about 1.5 hours, we touched gently on terra firma!
As we taxied toward the apron, my trusted instructor, Raymond de Haan was awaiting our arrival. It had been an exhausting couple of days and a long journey to here. One is always nervous for a checkride. That is a normal thing. Raymond had felt very confident and comfortable with me in the "IFR System", but I could not help think that he might have had a bit of anxiety too. Will he pass? Will it be marginal? hmmmmm
So, as we shut down and opened the door. I asked David what he thought of the flight. He said: "You did some fine flying today! It must be good enough for the Chinese Air Force!" and then he smiled. I smiled and Raymond smiled with a distinct relief. He came forward -- always the gentleman and shook my hands and simple said: "Congratulations"!
I can't tell you how thrilled and exhilarated I was. This was a big moment. I had wanted this so much and finally it had come to pass. It was not an easily accomplished task, but finally the whole system had fallen into place in my mind and I felt comfortable to be part of it. The months of grueling practice had paid off.
Now, my temporary license has one extra word on it -- "Instrument"!
Here's what it means and how one gets here ... enjoy ...
"Instrument" - Simple word, profound implications
Raymond de Haan Mike Schwartz