Sunday, March 22, 2009
Fun Flight
Its been almost three weeks since my CFI practical, and between the weather and having a cold I haven't been able to fly. So yesterday, with a break in the weather and my sinuses being clear, I was able to take the 182 for a fun flight. The weather was ok, with 4000' ceilings and scattered showers, and I didn't want to just go out and practice maneuvers (since that's all I have been doing for the last few months), so I decided to fly a short cross country. I ended up going to Chehalis, WA. (KCLS), for a few touch and goes. I'm looking forward to making a few fun flights over the next few weeks without having to be in training mode.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
CFI Checkride
After seven hours of oral questioning, teaching a few ground briefs, three breaks, and some flying the rating is done. I now get to carry a second pilot certificate giving me single engine airplane instructor privileges.
The practical started at 8:00 am with me greeting the FAA inspector and she reviewed my logbook endorsements and completed the IACRA work. We talked about the process of the practical and she mentioned there is a new Aviation Instructors Handbook coming out soon (if not already) and that there would probably be a new CFI PTS shortly after.
She started by asking me to explain the purpose of a critique and give examples of good and bad critiques. I was also asked to explain the difference between critique and evaluation and when you would use each. We then went into talking about part 61 and she asked me “what if” and “what would you do” type questions as they relate to part 61. Some examples were:
o As a CFI can you log cross country time when giving dual and flying from KBFI and KRNT? (a CFI can, and logging the time will come in handy for meeting part 135 pre-requisites)
o If a student comes to you with 20 hours of training given in Canada, does the flight time count toward a US private certificate? (yes)
o Duration of medical certificates (note new durations of 12 months and 60 months for under 40)
o Difference between simulators, flight training devices, PC trainers, etc.
o Duration of a temporary certificate
o Applying aeronautical experience from ultra lights
o How you would conduct a flight review and what area have to be covered
o Student pilot endorsements
o How long is a student pilot certificate good for? (61.19)
o What endorsements are needed when a post solo student switches from a C172 to C182?
o Private pilot endorsements (my first answer was the obvious logbook endorsements, but I left out signing the 8710 and making sure the medical and 90 day solo endorsement was current)
o If a student had logged 5.0 hours solo cross country from KBFI-KBLI-KFHR-KBFI would it count toward the solo cross country requirement? (The distances are ok, but 5.0 hours for this particular flight isn’t normal. Further questioning of the student revealed that the student had done pattern and maneuver practice during the cross country)
o How much sim time can be used toward a private certificate (61.109 {k})
o Endorsements for a commercial (usual + the complex and possibly high-perf, current flight review, medical and 8710.)
o Commercial pilot privileges (119.1)
o With your CFI certificate can you instruct sport pilot students (yes)
o When do you have to carry your CFI certificate? (When giving dual, apparently some CFI’s don’t carry theirs and some had been told to keep it in a safe place.)
o How do you renew a CFI certificate (61.197)
After we went through part 61, I was asked to explain aero medical factors. This included explaining how to obtain a medical certificate, what would someone do if they had a medical condition that might prevent them from flying (the example was someone with a glass eye or someone on depressants). After that I explained hypoxia, hyperventilation, etc. Also threw in some stuff on IMSAFE.
The next topic was to explain how to obtain weather information and help a student make go/no-go decision. I took the approach of talking about looking at weather from a high level, like the Weather Channel down to METARS. Also explained FAs, TAFs, winds aloft, PIREPS and SIGMETS/AIRMETS. Then relating all of the information to how it applies to student limits of ceilings, visibility, and winds. I then discussed how to get a briefing and use what he briefer says to fill in gaps that weren’t clear from gathering the information manually. Also, talked about how an instructor should “transfer” the responsibility of obtaining the weather to a student (but still staying in a supervising role).
Lastly, for my ground brief the examiner choose steep turns (commercial PTS standards). I had already prepared a brief for that and refreshed my memory while I took a short lunch break. I started by explaining that a steep turn is a performance maneuver and that the airplane is flown close to its load limit factor during the maneuver. I explained on the white board about how an airplane turns (horizontal/vertical lift) and how additional load is added when in a turn and level flight is maintained. Drew the load factor graph and showed the lift vector above the airplane and the centrifugal force and weight below. I then went on to explain the setup portion of the maneuver and common errors. She had me skip explaining how to fly the maneuver. This was the last task for the oral portion.
I dispatched the airplane and told the examiner that I had verified that the airplane was airworthy by looking at the aircraft logs. She had me skip the pre-flight brief and I just did a pre-flight and off we went. The first task was to teach my “student” how to taxi. Her first trick was to stand on the breaks as I applied power. I figured that out and re-briefed my student that when I say “my controls”, that also applies to feet as well. I got a taxi clearance and headed to the active runway. Part of the way to the runway, I got confused as to which runway the ground controller told me to go to, so I stopped and clarified. It turned out that I wrote the correct runway down, but had mixed it up in my head. The key take away is that stopping and clarifying didn’t count against me, but if I had taxied to the wrong runway, that would have been bad or probably a busted ride.
I was asked to teach a take off, so I choose a normal takeoff and my student flew us off the runway and into the downwind. I then demonstrated straight and level flight and was asked to climb to 2500’ to teach power off stalls. I explained, demonstrated, had my student explain and perform. Thinking back, I forgot to evaluate her power off stall.
Next up were steep turns, and I flew and then she flew. It was a bumpy day and my first attempt started off bad with an updraft causing a 150’ altitude increase. I reset and the next one was within standards but at the end I got distracted and let the altitude drop just after I pulled the power back to complete the maneuver. I called myself on this and she then flew a steep turn and I critiqued.
Lazy eights were next, and I picked my 45, 90, and 135 points and came up a little high on my first turn to the left, but nailed the turn to the right. I pointed out my mistakes and we moved on to having me pull the power and walk my student through a simulated engine failure. This went smoothly and I requested a go around when I though we were to getting to close to some houses. After we climbed back up, I demonstrated an accelerated stall. After that I demonstrated turns around a point and eights on pylons. There wasn’t much wind so these went smoothly.
After that we headed back to Boeing for landings and on the way back my student put on a hood and I taught a constant airspeed climb on instruments. She was looking for whether or not I knew what the primary pitch and bank instruments are in a constant airspeed climb. My first landing was to teach a slip to a landing and we got into a discussion about using flaps or not and I referred to the placard by the flap lever that says something about avoiding extended slips with full flaps. She also asked me to tell her why we would want to slip, and I went through things like cross wind landings, loosing altitude on final, etc. She wasn’t getting the answer that she was looking for, so she said we’d talk about it on the ground.
My slip demonstration was with no flaps and I performed a side slip to loose altitude and broke off the slip once we were back on a normal glide patch. She didn’t seem pleased with my demonstration and after we landed asked me if airspeed is higher or lower during a slip. I was still a little frazzled over the last discussion about slips, so I mumbled something and it obviously wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She said we’d talk about it afterwards but had one more takeoff and landing to do. I taught her a short field takeoff and started to teach hear how to do a soft field landing but on the down wind she wanted to show me how a slip should be performed. At this point I was thinking that I was going to get to go do some remedial training in slips.
After her demo of slips we taxied back, parked the airplane and went inside for the debrief. She asked me to get my books and tell her why we would want to slip. My previous answers were valid, and there was a bullet item in my slip ground brief that mentioned that we use slips when there is no electrical power (i.e. no flaps available). This was the magic answer and we had a short discussion of how I need to teach my future students to do slips with and without flaps and that slips need to be taught to continue all the way to touchdown. She pointed out that slips with full flaps are useful for engine failure situations where you may want to be high for an emergency landing point (since you don’t want to come up short), and a slip will allow you to stay high until your landing spot is assured.
After that she told me congratulations and she completed the IACRA process and I was issued my temporary CFI certificate. The total time of the exam (flight, oral, and breaks) was 7 hours. The take away from the experience is that even when you think you’ve failed a task, just keep plugging away and explain why you did what you did. It’s my feeling that the examiner is looking at how you perform on the exam as a whole and if you mess up here and there, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve failed the check ride. I also had her endorse my logbook for a BFR (since a new CFI certificate doesn’t reset the BFR).
The practical started at 8:00 am with me greeting the FAA inspector and she reviewed my logbook endorsements and completed the IACRA work. We talked about the process of the practical and she mentioned there is a new Aviation Instructors Handbook coming out soon (if not already) and that there would probably be a new CFI PTS shortly after.
She started by asking me to explain the purpose of a critique and give examples of good and bad critiques. I was also asked to explain the difference between critique and evaluation and when you would use each. We then went into talking about part 61 and she asked me “what if” and “what would you do” type questions as they relate to part 61. Some examples were:
o As a CFI can you log cross country time when giving dual and flying from KBFI and KRNT? (a CFI can, and logging the time will come in handy for meeting part 135 pre-requisites)
o If a student comes to you with 20 hours of training given in Canada, does the flight time count toward a US private certificate? (yes)
o Duration of medical certificates (note new durations of 12 months and 60 months for under 40)
o Difference between simulators, flight training devices, PC trainers, etc.
o Duration of a temporary certificate
o Applying aeronautical experience from ultra lights
o How you would conduct a flight review and what area have to be covered
o Student pilot endorsements
o How long is a student pilot certificate good for? (61.19)
o What endorsements are needed when a post solo student switches from a C172 to C182?
o Private pilot endorsements (my first answer was the obvious logbook endorsements, but I left out signing the 8710 and making sure the medical and 90 day solo endorsement was current)
o If a student had logged 5.0 hours solo cross country from KBFI-KBLI-KFHR-KBFI would it count toward the solo cross country requirement? (The distances are ok, but 5.0 hours for this particular flight isn’t normal. Further questioning of the student revealed that the student had done pattern and maneuver practice during the cross country)
o How much sim time can be used toward a private certificate (61.109 {k})
o Endorsements for a commercial (usual + the complex and possibly high-perf, current flight review, medical and 8710.)
o Commercial pilot privileges (119.1)
o With your CFI certificate can you instruct sport pilot students (yes)
o When do you have to carry your CFI certificate? (When giving dual, apparently some CFI’s don’t carry theirs and some had been told to keep it in a safe place.)
o How do you renew a CFI certificate (61.197)
After we went through part 61, I was asked to explain aero medical factors. This included explaining how to obtain a medical certificate, what would someone do if they had a medical condition that might prevent them from flying (the example was someone with a glass eye or someone on depressants). After that I explained hypoxia, hyperventilation, etc. Also threw in some stuff on IMSAFE.
The next topic was to explain how to obtain weather information and help a student make go/no-go decision. I took the approach of talking about looking at weather from a high level, like the Weather Channel down to METARS. Also explained FAs, TAFs, winds aloft, PIREPS and SIGMETS/AIRMETS. Then relating all of the information to how it applies to student limits of ceilings, visibility, and winds. I then discussed how to get a briefing and use what he briefer says to fill in gaps that weren’t clear from gathering the information manually. Also, talked about how an instructor should “transfer” the responsibility of obtaining the weather to a student (but still staying in a supervising role).
Lastly, for my ground brief the examiner choose steep turns (commercial PTS standards). I had already prepared a brief for that and refreshed my memory while I took a short lunch break. I started by explaining that a steep turn is a performance maneuver and that the airplane is flown close to its load limit factor during the maneuver. I explained on the white board about how an airplane turns (horizontal/vertical lift) and how additional load is added when in a turn and level flight is maintained. Drew the load factor graph and showed the lift vector above the airplane and the centrifugal force and weight below. I then went on to explain the setup portion of the maneuver and common errors. She had me skip explaining how to fly the maneuver. This was the last task for the oral portion.
I dispatched the airplane and told the examiner that I had verified that the airplane was airworthy by looking at the aircraft logs. She had me skip the pre-flight brief and I just did a pre-flight and off we went. The first task was to teach my “student” how to taxi. Her first trick was to stand on the breaks as I applied power. I figured that out and re-briefed my student that when I say “my controls”, that also applies to feet as well. I got a taxi clearance and headed to the active runway. Part of the way to the runway, I got confused as to which runway the ground controller told me to go to, so I stopped and clarified. It turned out that I wrote the correct runway down, but had mixed it up in my head. The key take away is that stopping and clarifying didn’t count against me, but if I had taxied to the wrong runway, that would have been bad or probably a busted ride.
I was asked to teach a take off, so I choose a normal takeoff and my student flew us off the runway and into the downwind. I then demonstrated straight and level flight and was asked to climb to 2500’ to teach power off stalls. I explained, demonstrated, had my student explain and perform. Thinking back, I forgot to evaluate her power off stall.
Next up were steep turns, and I flew and then she flew. It was a bumpy day and my first attempt started off bad with an updraft causing a 150’ altitude increase. I reset and the next one was within standards but at the end I got distracted and let the altitude drop just after I pulled the power back to complete the maneuver. I called myself on this and she then flew a steep turn and I critiqued.
Lazy eights were next, and I picked my 45, 90, and 135 points and came up a little high on my first turn to the left, but nailed the turn to the right. I pointed out my mistakes and we moved on to having me pull the power and walk my student through a simulated engine failure. This went smoothly and I requested a go around when I though we were to getting to close to some houses. After we climbed back up, I demonstrated an accelerated stall. After that I demonstrated turns around a point and eights on pylons. There wasn’t much wind so these went smoothly.
After that we headed back to Boeing for landings and on the way back my student put on a hood and I taught a constant airspeed climb on instruments. She was looking for whether or not I knew what the primary pitch and bank instruments are in a constant airspeed climb. My first landing was to teach a slip to a landing and we got into a discussion about using flaps or not and I referred to the placard by the flap lever that says something about avoiding extended slips with full flaps. She also asked me to tell her why we would want to slip, and I went through things like cross wind landings, loosing altitude on final, etc. She wasn’t getting the answer that she was looking for, so she said we’d talk about it on the ground.
My slip demonstration was with no flaps and I performed a side slip to loose altitude and broke off the slip once we were back on a normal glide patch. She didn’t seem pleased with my demonstration and after we landed asked me if airspeed is higher or lower during a slip. I was still a little frazzled over the last discussion about slips, so I mumbled something and it obviously wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She said we’d talk about it afterwards but had one more takeoff and landing to do. I taught her a short field takeoff and started to teach hear how to do a soft field landing but on the down wind she wanted to show me how a slip should be performed. At this point I was thinking that I was going to get to go do some remedial training in slips.
After her demo of slips we taxied back, parked the airplane and went inside for the debrief. She asked me to get my books and tell her why we would want to slip. My previous answers were valid, and there was a bullet item in my slip ground brief that mentioned that we use slips when there is no electrical power (i.e. no flaps available). This was the magic answer and we had a short discussion of how I need to teach my future students to do slips with and without flaps and that slips need to be taught to continue all the way to touchdown. She pointed out that slips with full flaps are useful for engine failure situations where you may want to be high for an emergency landing point (since you don’t want to come up short), and a slip will allow you to stay high until your landing spot is assured.
After that she told me congratulations and she completed the IACRA process and I was issued my temporary CFI certificate. The total time of the exam (flight, oral, and breaks) was 7 hours. The take away from the experience is that even when you think you’ve failed a task, just keep plugging away and explain why you did what you did. It’s my feeling that the examiner is looking at how you perform on the exam as a whole and if you mess up here and there, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve failed the check ride. I also had her endorse my logbook for a BFR (since a new CFI certificate doesn’t reset the BFR).
Monday, March 2, 2009
Checkride Tomorrow
I've flown three out of the last four days getting ready for the practical tomorrow. Today I spent the whole day studying the oral material and I'm ready for anything the examiner can throw at me. The weather looks like it will cooperate and at the end of tomorrow another step in my pilot journey will be accomplished.
Friday, February 27, 2009
End of Course Flight
Flew for 2.0 hours yesterday going through maneuvers and proving to the check airmen that I could perform each maneuver to PTS standards and that I could explain the how and why of each maneuver and do some teaching in the air. We got in everything except power off 180 landings, power on stalls and short field takeoffs. I also had to brief turns around a point before the flight and brief the pre-flight at the airplane.
We had a debrief after the flight with the check airmen and my CFI and there were positives and negatives of the flight, but the take away was that my flying doesn't quite have the "finesse" required that a flight instructor should exhibit. I felt that this critique was subjective and is contrary to what the FOI topic on critique talks about. I've noticed that some of the feedback that I get from instructors (past and present) seems to contradict some of the techniques described in the FAA instructor book.
So moving forward, I have a flight scheduled for today and tomorrow, and my goal is to eliminate any doubt as to my ability to fly to PTS standards. The practical is still scheduled for Tuesday, so I expect that the flights will go well and the practical date won't have to be moved out.
We had a debrief after the flight with the check airmen and my CFI and there were positives and negatives of the flight, but the take away was that my flying doesn't quite have the "finesse" required that a flight instructor should exhibit. I felt that this critique was subjective and is contrary to what the FOI topic on critique talks about. I've noticed that some of the feedback that I get from instructors (past and present) seems to contradict some of the techniques described in the FAA instructor book.
So moving forward, I have a flight scheduled for today and tomorrow, and my goal is to eliminate any doubt as to my ability to fly to PTS standards. The practical is still scheduled for Tuesday, so I expect that the flights will go well and the practical date won't have to be moved out.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Countdown to the CFI Checkride
The first bit of news is that the practical exam has been moved up to Tuesday March 3rd. I've been re-learning all of the FOI material and practicing giving ground briefs on various subjects. I've been trying to get an end of course flight in with another instructor, but the weather hasn't cooperated so I've had to scrub two flights. Hoping to get a break in the ceilings this afternoon, but one never knows what the weather will do around Puget Sound. The forecast is for some snow tonight and tomorrow, with things drying out late Thursday thru the weekend. I'd rather get the last few flights leading up to the practical exam out of the way sooner rather than later, but that's the way things go.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CFI Practical Exam Scheduled for March 5th
The practical date is getting near and I'm starting to ramp up my instructional knowledge of the PTS subject areas and refine my flying. Yesterday I flew a 2.4 hour training flight going through every maneuver and working on my teaching skills. Today I had a mock practical/end of course evaluation from a different instructor. We had planned to do three hours of oral questioning and a similar block for flying, but ended up going through almost everything ground related from the PTS. This turned out to be more like what the actual oral part of the practical will be like, so it was worth the extra time. I'll get the flight portion in early next week.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Almost There
I've spent the last few flights working on getting lazy 8's down and running through most of the PTS maneuvers. I flew a couple of days ago with a different instructor, just to get a different perspective on how to fly lazy 8's. I think I've finally figured out how to fly them consistently and plan to do some solo practice this weekend.
We've set a goal for a March 1st check ride and I'm scheduled for a two part end of course/practice practical oral and flight next week. I've been re-learning the fundamentals of instruction the last few days and working through the all of the PTS tasks. I've also been busy printing all of my ground briefs and relevant AC's and getting them organized binders.
We've set a goal for a March 1st check ride and I'm scheduled for a two part end of course/practice practical oral and flight next week. I've been re-learning the fundamentals of instruction the last few days and working through the all of the PTS tasks. I've also been busy printing all of my ground briefs and relevant AC's and getting them organized binders.
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