Passed My Check ride
Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:33 pm
Last Sunday was my check ride. I was the one having problems with short field landings and posted about it. A few weeks back, I finally got proficient with the short field landing and proceed with check ride practice with my instructor, he found that I was ready and booked my check ride. During my check ride, all my on air maneuvers came out equal or better than during practices, my DPE was impressed with my steep turns and made good comment about them. Unfortunately, I could not impress him with my landings, they where not as good as in my latest practices. First landing was the regular landing, the plane ballooned a bit but I was able to salvage it and bring it down for a greaser. Second was short field and I did ok, but not like my latest practices. The third was the soft field, to be performed at the home airport, I didn't had much problem with the soft field during my training so after passing the short field, I was kind of relieved, and I might have let the guard down.
The soft field landing was the one that came worst. The plane made 3 or 4 nose up semi-gentle bouncing with a bit of side load but fortunately, there where not tendency to roll, I was able to keep the nose wheel up all the way until the main wheels settled and ground speed came down to minimum. I'm sure, in an actual soft field, the plane would have survived in one piece, but the landing wasn't exactly pretty. I never had soft field landing like that during my training, I even made a real soft fields in turf runway and it came out really well. I taxied back to the ramp wondering if I passed the test or not.
After shutting down the engine, the examiner ask me some questions about why the soft field landing came out like that. After I answered and recognized my mistakes, he agreed and expanded my answers, after that he told me that I did ok with the landing and he was just giving me advise for continuing improvements.
I have heard from other pilots that it is common to do little worst during check ride than in practices, mostly due to nervousness. In my case, I don't think I was nervous, I think I wasn't as careful as I should have.
The learning here is this, the test is not over until you shut down the engine back at the ramp, then you can feel relieved. Keep trying your best until then.
The soft field landing was the one that came worst. The plane made 3 or 4 nose up semi-gentle bouncing with a bit of side load but fortunately, there where not tendency to roll, I was able to keep the nose wheel up all the way until the main wheels settled and ground speed came down to minimum. I'm sure, in an actual soft field, the plane would have survived in one piece, but the landing wasn't exactly pretty. I never had soft field landing like that during my training, I even made a real soft fields in turf runway and it came out really well. I taxied back to the ramp wondering if I passed the test or not.
After shutting down the engine, the examiner ask me some questions about why the soft field landing came out like that. After I answered and recognized my mistakes, he agreed and expanded my answers, after that he told me that I did ok with the landing and he was just giving me advise for continuing improvements.
I have heard from other pilots that it is common to do little worst during check ride than in practices, mostly due to nervousness. In my case, I don't think I was nervous, I think I wasn't as careful as I should have.
The learning here is this, the test is not over until you shut down the engine back at the ramp, then you can feel relieved. Keep trying your best until then.