Sport Pilot Talk

I congratulate you Frank!!! But, don't you guys think this is an exercise in silliness?

The DPE flunks him...puts it in his record that he busted his ride...then comes back and wastes both their time a few days later to give him a 15 minute trip around the pattern to RE-EXAMINE HIS WEAK AREAS!

Sheesh! I know that's how the system is SUPPOSE to work in some DPE's minds, but wouldn't it make a whole lot more sense and be a lot more efficient for the DPE to do the re-exam immediately after the 1st flub, and not record it as a failure?

What was accomplished here? Nothing except a DPE felt empowered, an applicant felt humiliated, and an airman's FAA record starts of with a blemish.

I doubt very seriously that any intense flight instruction went on between the 1st and 2nd attempt?

This maneuver is not listed in the PTS as being one of the 14 SPECIAL EMPHASIS AREA that is CRITICAL to flight safety. Neither is it listed as a typical area of unsatisfactory performance and grounds for disqualification.

If this ONE maneuver was all that got re-tested, then Frank didn't fail the first ride.

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Bryan Cobb
Sport Pilot CFI
Commercial/Instrument Airplane
Commercial Rotorcraft Helicopter
Cartersville, Ga
bryandcobb@att.net

I did get some CFI time between the Check Rides. It's always good to fly with someone. He helped me with my full-flap landings.

And that is all that got re-tested; my soft-field takeoff, this time with appropriate, palckarded, half flaps. I was thinking, before take-off, that I passed my checkride at the point when I set my flaps.

But I went through with the take-off and it was flawless. Rode on my mains for a bit, even though my LSA wants to jump off the ground.

She asked for a short field landing even though I had previously passed that maneuver. I treated it as though I was being re-tested on that. I dialed in full flaps, even though I trained under half flaps and was able to do them quite nicely, hitting the spot and exiting the runway at the first exit.

It all went very well.

I'm wondering how the initial failure will affect my insurance rate.

I can't think of any reason why your insurance company would even need to know about that. You're a licensed pilot with no accident, incident, violation, or claim history. If you weren't safe, the DPE wouldn't have passed you.

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The opinions expressed in this post are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the position of the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof. H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D., CFII, LSRM-A/GL/WS
AvSport of Lock Haven
http://AvSport.org fly@AvSport.org

No-one will ever know except you and all of us. It's just silly that this happens.

_________________
Bryan Cobb
Sport Pilot CFI
Commercial/Instrument Airplane
Commercial Rotorcraft Helicopter
Cartersville, Ga
bryandcobb@att.net

Bryan, I think the reason he failed was because he didn't (or forgot) to use the checklist. This is a big deal because it can lead to accidents. How about taking off with full flaps in a Cessna 150, or would you like to be on the airliner that forgat to select take off flaps and left them retracted?
I almost replied right after his post about having the problem, saying how important using the checklist is.

I should read closer before commenting. I thought he just messed up on the short/soft.

A TENDENCY TO NOT USE A CHECKLIST IS DEFINITELY A FAIL.

I went back and read it again. He didn't mention lack of checklist use.
I have accidentally skipped items when USING a checklist. He doesn't really say WHY his flaps were configured wrong?

When I took my Private checkride in 1986, I remember my CFI (Warren Slagle) telling me "When Mr. Leslie (DPE) tells you to demonstrate a short field takeoff (in a Piper Tomohawk) be sure to ask him if he'd like to see it WITH or WITHOUT flaps, and then do what he says."

Now I can't remember if the Tomohawk book procedure mentioned flaps at all. If it didn't, I guess it was at PIC discretion.

I'm sure the LSA on this checkride called for flaps in the book or checklist.

_________________
Bryan Cobb
Sport Pilot CFI
Commercial/Instrument Airplane
Commercial Rotorcraft Helicopter
Cartersville, Ga
bryandcobb@att.net

The original failure was due to lack of check list use.

I was rattled and didn't look at the check list.

After the final check ride, my after landing and my shut down check lists were done from memory. But I immediately checked my list to make sure I didn't miss something.

During the oral, I showed her the check lists I made up foor my check ride. It had stuff to remember for every maneuver. She told me a story about how one of her examinees had such a check list aand how it got in the way.

I took that to mean "balance, grasshopper, is a good thing. "