Well I did it! I passed my checkride with "flying colors!" (Pun intended). The checkride was scheduled for 8am. I stayed up last night preparing for the oral portion for about three or four hours until I finally decided that sleep was probably as important as the studying.
I planned my cross country to Lancaster four different ways even though he only asked for two. First, he wanted the best performance. He said "Get us there as fast as possible." Because of the Arrow II's engine, I had the option of using 75% power at 4,500ft. or 65% at 6,500ft. Taking climb time, winds aloft and aircraft performance data, I found that it would take us 1hr and 31mins to get there at 4,500 feet using 75% power. That's what I expected since it is essentially "full power." But then I tried it at 6,500 feet at 65% power and found that it only took 3 minutes longer. I printed both flight plans out.
A similar option existed for best efficiency. It was more efficient to go up to 6,500 and use 55% power than to stay at 4,500 and use the same 55% power. Again, the difference was marginal so I printed both.
I got to the airport around 7am and the smell of sewage from the treatment plant across the street was making me nauseous. The air was completely still and the smell just wouldn't lift. I began my preflight which was very easy since I had the aircraft fueled and ready to go the night before. Right around 8am the examiner's blue C-172 touched down and taxiied over.
We got right into things as he organized his notes and checklists. Paperwork was first. He verified my hours, the application and my logbook. He had me prove to him I was legal and current. Next he had me prove the aircraft was legal and current. I showed him all of the maintenance logs and we moved right along. Next we went over every performance chart in the POH. He had me explain to them what they each displayed and had me show him the results for the current conditions (takeoff/landing roll, climb performance etc.). Next it was cross country planning time. He was very happy with the planning and was impressed that I did a little extra work. I said that while picking 4,500ft was 3 minutes faster, it'd be much safer to take the 6,500ft plan since the 2,000 feet would save on gas and would be much safer in the event of an engine loss. We went over some other things pertaining to what a commercial rating is good for, its limitations etc. After about 40-45mins we were done. "Excellent job so far. Let's go flying now!" he said.
As we walked toward the aircraft, I did another walk around and told him I was checking to be sure the aircraft wasn't accidently damaged while we were inside. "It was out of my sight so anything could have happened to it" I told him. I pulled the chock out and we got in the plane. I gave him a passenger briefing describing the horns and lights he might expect to hear and see. I told him how to operate the door and the seatbelt as well as the fire extinguisher. I started up, taxiied and did my runup. We departed and began the cross country. I reached the top of my climb just about exactly where I predicted and verified it with the visual reference points...exactly 7 mins after departure. Now it was time for the maneuvers.
First we did power off stalls, then power on stalls, then steep turns in both directions. We went from one maneuver into the next. There was no break at all in between. He then asked for an emergency decent. I banked the aircraft about 60 degrees, pulled the throttle and began circling the area below. I was getting about 1500fpm descent rate. He stopped me and asked how I could descend faster. "Flaps and gear down?" I asked? "Sure that'll help add some drag but I would just nose it down and keep the airspeed less than Vno." So I tried that and i was easily getting 3000fpm. Wow, how had I come this far in aviation and never done that before? I wasn't even near Vno yet i couldn't push the nose down any harder. That plane can sink! Now that we were down low, we did Chandelle's to get back up. One to the left, then one to the right. Then it was Lazy Eights time. To the left, then back to the right again. "Keep doing more" he said as he started covering up instruments. Before I knew it, he covered my attitude indicator, airspeed indicator, DG, and VSI. "It's an outside maneuver so you don't need those anyway" he joked. So I kept doing lazy eights and they kept getting better not worse. I suprised myself. Then it was time to lose some altitude with steep spiral descents. I found a bridge and began circling at 60 degrees of bank holding best glide. Immediately after my third revolution he said "Ok let's do some eights on pylons." I picked out my reference points and began the maneuver. I went through it twice and then he said "Ok maneuvers were great...Let's do some takeoffs and landings."
Back to the airport for a short field landing. Pattern was completely normal and winds were calm so it was nothing out of the ordinary. I planted it right at the top of the numbers and got off of the first taxiway. Takeoff was to be a short field takeoff. Next time around he asked for a soft field landing. Again, normal pattern and I landed just past the numbers and held the nose off. Now time for a soft field takeoff. As I approached the numbers on downwind, he pulls the engine on me and I immediately begin aiming the aircraft at the numbers. The gear was already down so I pitched for best glide and started going through the checklists. I could tell he thought I was crazy because the plane was coming down about 1200fpm but I know this plane and was sure I would make it...you just have to turn toward the runway immediately and can't fly any sort of pattern whatsoever. I landed nice and soft on the numbers and taxiied off of the runway. "Wow I can't get over the descent rate of that aircraft! Are you sure 105mph is the best glide airspeed in that plane?" I reassured him that I was positive. He wanted to go up again and do a test. Again on downwind he pulled the throttle. "This time try 95mph instead." Sure enough, the plane was descending at about 700fpm and I actually had to slip it to get it down on the numbers again. We concluded that the POH's best glide airspeed was obviously accurate for gear up situations but for gear down, the best speed is much lower. That's an interesting and useful thing to know.
We taxiied back and as soon as I cut the engine he said "Congratulations...You're ready to be a commercial pilot." It's a great feeling to be done! As I cleaned up the aircraft and handed him my logbook, I told him the total time was 1.2hrs. "That's it?! That's the fastest commercial checkride I think i've ever done!" We went inside where he handed me my new paper certificate. He kept my old plastic license which I was hoping to keep as a souveneir. Oh well...
No rest for the wicked! Time to get in gear for CFI and CFII!
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