Instrument Checkride Report

Oral

Oral overall was very smooth. My DPE commented on that we are doing pretty fast on this stage. We took one break between the first part and then reviewing of the IFR XC plan. Here’re some questions I got asked (that I still remembered, not in order).

• AV1ATE
  • VOR check: I said I did it just this morning, he asked how did you test it and what was the error.
  • ELT check: I said 12 months he said wrong. I babbled about also 50% life and continuous use too, and I looked up reg to back it up. He asked but what is the 50% life? I froze up and I read the maintenance log again, the battery expiration date is noted in there and that’s the answer he was looking for.
• Temp 15 / Dew 11, where’s the cloud base?
  • I answered 2000ft. He wants me to find the official source for the 2C lapse rate. He thought it was in the aviation weather handbook but we could not find it in there. (He wants to look for 2.5C in the book but the book only listed that it’s about 1.2~3 from dry to moist and the example in the book uses 2C.)
• What to do if you were cleared for Visual approach? `
  • Proceed to land using normal manuevers and/or follow an instrument procedure down.
  • He followed-up to ask about the clearance we need to maintain: 1000-3
• Coming into KFAT, who close your flight plan?
  • Tower
• Coming into KWVI, what now?
  • I answered NorCal can hear us on the ground, he did not ask for other ways.
• Use KWVI LOC 02 plate, identify all the lighting you will see on an approach and ask about how low does that get you? What do you need to see to land the airplane.
  • 91.175 (c)(3), don't forget PAPI is also visible!
  • What does REIL looks like? What color is MIRL lights?
  • REIL: White flashing light at runway end. MIRL: It is a runway edge light, white.
• Use KSNS ILS 31 plate: He asked what happens if you lost glideslope.
  • I answered execute the missed approach immediately. He was surprised by that answer and ask me why can’t we just fallback to LOC, I answered that this is not a ILS/LOC plate and only ILS minima is listed. He double checked that and said I was correct.
• Use KSNS VOR 13 plate: How do you identify SAMES and MARNA
  • DME/GPS
  • What’s the hold entry (on missed approach) there?
  • We're entering on the opposite heading here so either parallel or teardrop works.
• What are the freezing level today?
  • I pulled out the weather briefing printout from Leido's website and point that out.
• What are type of the Icing?
  • Clear/Rime/Hybrid
  • What do you do if you encounter them?
    • Either 180 or descend/climb
  • What if ATC cannot vector you below MEA?
    • If I’m sure of the terrain clearance, I would declare emergency and descend below OR execute the aforementioned 180.
• Use KWVI RNAV 2 plate: Identify the fly-by and fly-over waypoints
  • Every waypoint but RW02 is a fly-by. RW02 is fly-over (denoted by the extra circle on the symbol).
• How long was the GPS DB valid for?
  • 56 days
• When do you need alternate?
  • 1-2-3: 1 hour before/after ETA, 2000 feet ceiling, 3sm visibility
  • Do we need it today? What’s the alternate minimum for KWVI?
    • Read the IAP plate of KWVI will show an alternate minimum symbol. Read the KWVI notes will show NA when local weather is not available.
• How do you maintain instrument currency?
  • 6HITS: 6 approachs, Holds, Intercept and tracking courses using navigation systems
• If we’re flying KWVI LOC 02 and broke out at 2500, can you log the approach?
  • No, you can only log if you broke out after FAF.
• Define what’s DA (Decision Altitude)
  • It's the altitude where a land / go-around decision needs to be made on a precision / APV approach.
• Asked about a few things on the enroute chart.
• What’s the maximum difference between the altimeter and field elevation can you have?
  • 75 fts
• What does MEA guarantees?
  • Reception of NAVAID, two-way comms with ATC, safe clearance from terrain
• When do you need instrument rating?
  • Class A, Fly IFR, file flight plan, SVFR at night, Commercial >50nm and at night
• If stall horn is inop, can you fly IFR?
  • Look up KOEL, it is required for all operations, therefore, no.
• What are the compass errors? If you want from 90 to 180, what do you do?
  • I answered UNOS and I’ll overshoot by 30 degree. I also mentioned that we could perform standard rate turn as well. He didn’t ask for more.
• What is the minimum legal fuel we need to take on the XC today?
  • I brought a full fuel planning sheet with me, including flying to KFAT, approach 1, fly to KMER (alternate), approach 2 and cruise for 45 mins. He wants specifically whats the minimum legal fuel so I added up flying to KFAT, then fly to KMER and the 45mins extra.

This is the aforementioned break. He came back and looked up the error codes on my instrument written test and asked a few follow up questions.

• What are the AIRMETs? Do we have any on the route today? (None for the route but I listed all conditions for T/S/Z.)
• What is convective sigmet? What specifically makes it a SIGMET? (Hail size and wind speed, I had to look this one up but he was okay with it.)
• The entire lost comm procedure for the planned XC: KWVI to KFAT. He gave you a few minutes to reference the lost comm info if you have it and wants you to tell him how would you fly the entire flight in lost comm.

Flying

I passed oral and we’re going to fly! It took us about one hour for the oral and he said that was pretty fast. He told me that:

• He would respond to the traffic calls but otherwise expect you to handle all radio calls
• He would let you know if you fail immediately but will let you fly the rest of the checkride
• You can use autopilot for one approach and in-between approaches
• You can choose if you want your partial panel to be reversionary mode or no PFD (fly with standby + MFD).

Partial Panel

Some DPE will ask you to fly the partial panel approach with ONLY MFD (no reversionary mode). It is surprisingly do-able if you set the top bar to show GS, DTK, TRK, XTK so you know how far off track you are and which way to correct. Do practice it if your DPE is known for asking for this setup though.

KSNS VOR is out of service (actually I still can receive it occasionally but it is spotty, so there’s no KSNS VOR 13 today). We flew the following procedures:

• WVI4 departure (It is NA’ed today due to the VOR too, but we followed the GPS track in)
• KWVI VOR-A (VOR is unusable, we tracked GPS instead) - Published Missed (HOLD at SNS)
• KCVH RNAV 31 LPV - Full stop
• KWVI LOC 02 Partial Panel Circle to Land 20

WVI4 Departure

Before I start the airplane, I asked if he wanted a passenger briefing and he said yes, so I gave him a standard one and he said good. We started by flying the WVI4 departure, he had me put on the foggle at 500 feet. We flew heading 321 to 1000 and turn to intercept KSNS R-293. We climbed to 2500ft and he was satisfied with the departure (we did not intercept R-293). he gave me some vectors and told me to call NorCal (127.15) for KWVI VOR-A starting at JEJZE. We had some issues with getting permissions from NorCal as they were very busy at the time so we did a 360 as we wait for the clearance then we head to direct JEJZE and climb to 3700 as depicted on the plate.

KWVI VOR-A starting at JEJZE

I opted to use autopilot for this approach. I called it out and engaged AP once we climb to 3700. I report that we’re established on the arc to NorCal and NorCal clears us for the approach. Since this is AP coupled, there’s basically nothing to do here but to watch it. As we turn onto the straight segment, I called out that I would usually switch to VOR at this point, however, given we are not receiving VOR signal today, we’ll continue in magenta arrow. We flew down to 1300 ft as I make some position reports on KWVI CTAF and we execute the missed approach.

Cram, Climb, Clean, Called NorCal and report that we’re on the missed from Watsonville. Once we’re on the missed altitude of 5000 and are basically direct to SNS, I re-engaged the autopilot since it was a 10nm leg. When we’re about 3nm from SNS, I asked if he wants me to hand fly the hold. He said yes so I disengaged AP at ~1.5nm from SNS and hand fly the hold.

As we’re turning inbound, he asked me to call NorCal to start the KCVH RNAV 31 approach at RUDNY. We were about to reach SNS again so I was getting ready to turn outbound again but fortunately NorCal get back to us in-time and we were cleared direct RUDNY.

KCVH RNAV 31 LPV starting at RUDNY

I preloaded this approach while we were on that 10nm leg to SNS so I just hit direct enter to go to RUDNY. While we were flying that leg, I briefed the approach plate and got the weather while climbing to 5200 for the entry. Since I’ve used up my autopilot allowance at this point, I similarly disengaged AP at about 1.5nm from RUDNY and hand fly the approach. I had a little bit of fluctuation on the altitude today as it was a hot and bumpy day but it was within ACS tolerance.

Once we turned final and captured LPV glideslope, I put in flaps 10 and trimmed the airplane to descend. I only had to adjust the power a little while on the short final, the rest of the final segment was pretty much automatic without any input from me. I also called out that LPV announciation is verified on HSI since he asked that question earlier at oral.

He previously said that while we will request full stop with NorCal, we can decide if we want to land here or not depending on the traffic. I told him that given how hot it is right now (36C), I’d rather not land the airplane and taxi back, let’s just fly low approach and get back to watsonville. He agrees so we flew a low approach while I clean up the airplane and start climbing to 3000ft while direct to NALLS for KWVI LOC 02. I went visual when we hit the DA and I put the foggle back on ~1500ft as we’re climbing away from the airport.

Unusual Attitude

As we level off at 3000ft, he told me to look down and starts the unusual attitude. No surprise here, one nose down and one nose up and we’re good, back to 3000ft and direct NALLS. (I was expecting some no-gyro turns based on previous reports but I wasn’t asked to perform one.)

After that, he asked me to call NorCal for KWVI LOC 02 from NALLS, full procedure.

KWVI LOC 02 Partial Panel Circle to Land 20 starting at NALLS

As we’re approaching NALLS, he asked me to do partial panel so I hit the reversionary mode button. He commented that uh, you still have the PFD on (lol) so I dimmed PFD to 0% and he was happy. We turned outbound on NALLS, and I started my procedure turn shortly after that (since we’re pretty far out on the ocean and far from the runway 20 departure traffic anyway).

I switched to localizer as we’re on the inbound leg of the procedure turn and captures it. We reported to NorCal that we’re established and NorCal cleared us for LOC02 into KWVI. There were some traffic but fortunately they all departed as we’re coming on upwind RWY20. He amended the MDA for the circling approach to be 1200 for traffic pattern altitude and I told him I’ll set minimum to 1250 to avoid busting MDA.

I went visual at 1250ft and we flew the pattern at 1250ft and I called out I’m going to start my descend as we were abeam the number. He commented that this would be a good crosswind landing practice. We landed uneventfully and he helped me pushed the airplane and told me he’ll be in his office. The flying part took about 1.8 hobbs time. he was pretty quiet in the airplane, we barely talked unless I was asking him a question, but if your DPE is quiet. You’re doing well. :)

Debrief

I went up and he was on a phone call so I went into his office and just kill some time. After 5 mins, he was still on the phone, so I went down and get some water. The reception asked me “So… did you pass?”. I was like… “uhhh i think so? He’s still on the phone so I don’t really know. He didn’t say anything during the checkride tho, so I think I passed?” lol.

I went back and he wrapped up his call and officially congratulated me passing the checkride. After that, he came out with me to take a photo and I flew home from there!