QUOTE(Dabz @ May 5 2007, 02:44 PM) [snapback]116654[/snapback]
I just passed my PPL flight test yesterday ... YAY! :D
CPL time but I've found that passing your PPL is like showing that you're safe and I've heard that passing your CPL is showing you have the skillz...
Would this be true?
My instructor says hes about to be alot harder on me now however he said I'm able to push the "enverlope" alot more and get away with it...
Some care less about grammar and punctuation, and more about the shop talk I guess...
Here's what I found on the subject: The way you described it is mildly accurate. What you're going to do now is take what you've learned through your PPL training, and you're going to magnify to not necessarily make you a better pilot, but to most definetely make you a SAFER pilot. Through making you a safer pilot, you will almost automagically become a better pilot as well. Learn to fly the plane as though you have 40 passengers sitting behind you, and it's your job to get them where they're going safely.
I spent a great deal of time learning my aircraft. There was very little I couldn't have told you about the C172RG I used to fly my checkride. I knew all of its dimensions, everything about every system, including how to draw them out. V speeds could be called out in my sleep, and we counted the rivets on the empennage, just to be funny (it didn't work. The questions just got harder from there. No pissing contests with the examiners. Bad idea.) Everything about minimum/maximum CHTs, oil pressures, fuel pressures. Be very thorough. You need to know that aircraft inside and out.
Naturally, count on going over X-country flight planning and weather. This was about 75% of my oral. I never had too many issues with flight planning, but the weather is a challenge sometimes. My examiner made sure I was challenged. We went over every single depiction of weather that I brought along with me. Then we went over the route of flight, how I came up with the calculations for the length of legs, how I chose waypoints, how I got each calculation for TC, MH, CH. He had me show him both on my electronic as well as my manual E6-B. From there we went over some other calculations on the E6-B, most notably finding density altitude with some factors that he made up in his head, and also converting temps from fahrenheit to celcius.
After that, we went over safety procedures, pre-flight briefings, holding out, passenger carry currency requirements, and restrictions on commercial pilots who do not hold an instrument rating. I'm sure there were other things, but this was now months ago, so I'm a little hazy on it.
The day I flew my checkride was miserable. Windiest day I can remember flying for quite some time now. I think it actually helped me in the long run, because he was really pretty lenient on me. The flying wasn't my best, and I'm sure he knew that, but all of my safety procedures, taxi procedures, checklist call outs, etc. were all right on. He made it pretty clear at the end that the safety stuff was what he was looking for.
So to end my long winded post, concentrate on being a safe pilot. It will in turn, make you a better pilot. The two go hand in hand.
Edited to add: Couple more things we went over included oxygen requirements at varying altitudes, night flying, and we walked up the airspace from Fullerton Airport in California on a sectional. Evidently he fails a lot of students on that very question, because it covers about four different types of airspace in about seven different layers. He wanted type of airspace and the VFR cloud clearance requirements for each. Fun stuff.
So How Hard Is It To Get Your Cpl?
May 5 2007, 06:44 PM
