Learning to Fly: September 2006 Archives

Today I'm officially a private pilot.

The test started out with an oral exam. The DPE (Designated Pilot Examiner) did explain that he wasn't looking for 100% knowledge on what he was to ask, but that he didn't want guesses (otherwise known as BS) either. I did fairly well here; tho a few things did come up that I didn't know. He made notes on those, and discussed them post-test, but .. overall, I passed the oral just fine, no worries. Topics included airspace, regulations, aerodynamics, medical factors, and my intended flight plan.

The flying test was actually fairly short. We took off from Sacramento, requesting flight following (and then cancelling it shortly thereafter; he was testing my radio skills). This was a bit amusing, as the radar guy thought I was going to Pine Mountain Lake direct, instead of my indirect route. As such, he vectored me to avoid traffic that I would have never hit on my own.

Actual skills put to test: take offs and landings (normal; short field; soft field); turns around a point and S turns; steep turns (45 degree bank); flying instrument only, including going to bad attitudes and then recovering; radio work; navigation (including diversions). One of my steep turns was pretty marginal. However, the examiner was in a good mood, and let me try again, and I nailed it.

My big fear, the soft field landing, I managed to squeek a great landing in. Several tries yesterday all sucked; but the one with the examiner worked out. Turns out that I could use more flaps, and land slower, when doing soft field landings, which the DPE suggested.

Anyhow, I now have a license to learn.. and to fly about freely in the sky. Horray!

I'm currently taking time off from work, and spending a couple of weeks boning up on anything and everthing. My checkride is set for the 19th, and I really hope to not have to do that twice.

My current emphasis on practice is softfield landings. I'm required to know how to do them, and to do them well; I'm also required to not actually use a soft field, when using the planes at the flight club I'm at. Go figure! Soft field landings require a soft and slow touchdown of the main wheels, while keeping the front nosewheel off the ground, until you've lost as much speed as possible. This is because the nosewheel structurally is not nearly as strong as the mains.

The first week is done; one week left to continue practice and study!