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Final Part 141 Stage Check Complete! On to the Checkride!

September 25, 2007 by 3 Comments


This is a regular blog post. If you’re looking for show notes for an episode, please see below.

Completed the stage check this afternoon for the Part 141 instrument rating program at Tradewinds. Yeah, baby! 2.4 hours Hobbs, two takeoffs, two landings, ILS 27 KFNT with circle to land 18, RNAV 18 KFNT with published miss and hold, VOR 18 full procedure KFNT, and VOR 27L KPTK partial panel. Less of a workout than last week, if only in that I’ve done a lot more approach work of late and and am more comfortable with the approach environment than I am handling rapid deviations from flight plans, holding at odd places, and doing DME arcs.

So now it’s on the the checkride with Mary Carpenter, the designated examiner who did my private checkride more than three years ago. She was great on the private ride and I expect a fair and objective ride with her this time, too.

I’m walking into the checkride with an 88 on the FAA Knowledge Test (wanted 90%+, but I’ll take the 88), which should put me on good footing, both because I know about 88% of the stuff and because Mary will have reason to think that I’ve studied prior to the ride.

Here’s N916TA, the trusty steed that I flew for the stage check and one of two aircraft that are candidates for the checkride. Either should be fine. I’ll probably try for 16 because I’ve flown her more recently, but I’d have no problem going with N920TA, which is essentially the same airplane, only newer. I probably have 15+ hours in each, so no problem.

Stay tuned for more on the checkride! Planning for the second week of October.

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Stage Check Almost Complete

September 17, 2007 by Leave a Comment


I’d consider throwing all of my approach plates in the lake at this point, but I fear that, even with dual VORs, IFR-certified GPS, and vectors, I’d have trouble finding the lake.

I had my final stage check this afternoon – well, most of it. 2.1 under the hood with rapid-fire changes of clearance, two holds (one VOR and one at an airway waypoint), a DME arc, unusual attitude recoveries (both full and partial panel), compass turns, approach and departure stalls under the hood, and a takeoff under the hood. That’s f%&$ing work! I was a noodle by the end.

My check pilot (the senior training pilot at Tradewinds) had a headset malfunction when the portion near the plug separated and made it tough for him to hear. So we shouted at each other for most of the maneuvers (par for the course on some of my flights, even when the instructor’s headset is fully funcitonal) and packed it in at the end.

We’ll do the approaches and clean up the other stuff soon. Gotta go fly some sim between now and then, especially partial-panel approaches.

Here’s N916TA, a Cessna 172R in which I’ve probably logged 20-30 hours. It and its sister aircraft, N920TA, have two-axis autopilots and an audio Aux input (great for iPod addition to your avionics). 16 and 20 are contemporaries of N918TA, the subject of the So Long, One-Eight! episode. Nice aircraft and none older than 2002. N915TA is a glass-panel (Garmin G-1000) is also on the line, but I’m going to finish up the rating with the steam gages and then maybe transition.

Wonder why I like Tradewinds? Here’s my walk from the lobby to the Pilot Center flight line. Right past the King Airs and the Hawkers. Got to like that. And look at the floor! Could you eat off of that or what?

Last thing: I’m the guest on Episode 3 of The Pilot’s Flight PodLog, which you’ll recall is Will Hawkins’ new podcast. Check it out and subscribe to Will’s new podcast at iTunes or your favorite other podcatcher or listen online at http://media.libsyn.com/media/pilotwill/pilots_flight_podcast_3.mp3.

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