Today, I finally finished my second stage check towards my private pilot's license with a local flight. I never expected my second stage check to take this long but it is what it is... I met with my check examiner and despite some concerns over the weather and visibility, I got dispatched out and proceeded to do the pre-flight inspection. Once I was done with pre-flight, my examiner joined me at the airplane and we hopped in. We closed up the canopy and went through the usual start-up procedures. Once we went through everything and completed the checklist (including the taxi and brake check), I contacted ground and they cleared us to taxi. We taxied out to the run-up area, where I performed the usual run-up procedure and monitored the instruments and gauges.
 |
| N987CT "Wolf 12," the DA-20 I took up with the check instructor to finish out my stage check in. |
Once I finished going through the run-ups, I continued taxiing to the runway. Upon reaching the hold-short line for the runway threshold, I contacted tower and informed them that we were ready for departure. We were cleared for takeoff and I taxied onto the runway and pushed the throttle forward and we began rolling. Once reaching takeoff speed, I pulled back on the stick and we got airborne. As we climbed out, I set course for a practice area southwest of Provo. I got in contact with Salt Lake Approach; the controller there made radar contact with us and almost immediately advised us about nearby air traffic, which we immediately began scanning for. The responsibility of "see-and-avoid" falls upon the pilots flying once they've established visual contact with another aircraft that the controllers on the ground gave an advisory for. Eventually, I spotted the traffic approach advised us on and let them know I had visual contact with them. Keeping an eye on the traffic and which general direction they were going, we continued on our way to the practice area. Upon arrival into the practice area, I performed some clearing turns before conducting the flight review.
Once it was determined that no one else was in our vicinity at the altitude we were flying at, my examiner took the throttle and pulled it all the way back, simulating an engine failure. I acknowledged the scenario we were simulating and began the emergency procedures. First I established the DA-20's best glide speed. Once that was done, I immediately began looking for a suitable field to make an approach and simulate a deadstick landing on. Despite all the snow covering the ground, I chose one based on the fact that I was almost flying in the pattern with this particular field. Finally, I got out my emergency checklist. I first went through the attempted restart procedure all while maintaining the airplane's best glide speed. We automatically assumed that the engine restart process failed so it was time to commit to the simulated emergency landing. I then went through the checklist in preparation for the landing, applying certain control inputs as necessary and simulating others without actually touching them. I also applied flaps as necessary and turned onto final approach for the field I chose. My examiner felt that we would make it had this been a real emergency so she had me go full throttle and we executed a go-around and climbed back up to altitude.
Having passed emergency operations, it was time to finish out the stage check by re-doing VOR navigation. My examiner briefly took the flight controls and had me don my foggles. Now I was visually impaired except for my instruments. I was handed back the controls and I first made a quick verification that our navigation radio has been tuned and is receiving a signal from the Provo VOR via its Morse code identifier. I then toggled the OBS until the CDI needle centered. I then looked for the deflection in the CDI and made corrections as I blindly set course for the Provo VOR until the CDI centered again. With foggles on, I monitored all my flight instruments as I attempted to maintain course and level flight. My examiner passed me on VOR navigation this time and she had me remove my foggles.
We were done with the stage exam and my examiner had me set course back to Provo. I contacted the tower and entered the pattern. Once abeam of where we were to touch down, I pulled engine power back, lowered the flaps, allowed the airspeed to decrease and made a descent. I then turned based to final and lowered the flaps for landing configuration and made our final approach. The plane we were flying in was equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) Glide Slope (GS) indicator and my examiner pointed out that my approach for landing was perfect because the GS needle was centered. But I don't need to worry about the ILS until I actually start working on my Instrument rating! My examiner also mentioned that she got her Instrument rating in a Katana like the one we were flying in.
I approached the runway and made a smooth touchdown. I then taxied off the runway and tower instructed us to taxi back to the UVU ramp, which we did. I parked the plane and shut the engine down. My examiner passed me on the stage check and we briefly discussed the flight and areas in need of continual improvement. But I passed nonetheless! We filled out our logbooks and I called it another flight.
I am ready to move forward.
No comments:
Post a Comment