gmm@bunker.UUCP (07/24/84)
[] Bruce, I took my exam 3 years ago. There were two areas my examiner tested me on. First, the creation of a flight to point X with ABC in my plane. I was questioned on flight planning, weight and balance. We looked at the map and he questioned me on everything my "flight" encountered. He chose the flight well, Dayton Ohio to Detriot Mich. He wanted to know if I could read the map and interpret not only the frequencies (apc, tower, atis, unicom, etc.) but, the differing amounts of control depicted for each airport by the markings on the map. (magenta with/without a tower, control under an Terminal Radar Service Area (TRSA, purple) and positive control under Terminal Control Area (TCA, blue) and what intruments were requiered in Group I and Group II TCAs. (Group I ATC clearencs, VOR, Transponder mode C altitude encoding, and private pilot. Group II, ATC clearence, VOR and Transponder.) Remember, When the tower is closed transmit in the bind on TOWER freq., not unicom. I had two near misses when pilots did not remember this. Next we took off and started on the "plan". I had to estimate ETAs and divert to an alternate airport enroute. He was looking for pilotage, not psudo IFR using VOR waypoints. This was a VFR check and VFR instrument requirements do not include NAV receivers. Next we went into basic handling of the plane. (Stalls, Slow Flight, 60 degree turns, engine out procedures.(Watch the engine out. As I was recovering from a mock landing in a field he pulled the engine off again and said, "Where are you going to land?")) What he was looking for mostly was my confidence and basic working knowledge of the plane. The only thing I blew was a simulated short field landing with 50 ft. obsticle which he did not make me do over again. I started a "go around" which he told he to abort. About unusual attitudes under the hood. believe me, the examiner can get the plane into some attitudes you didn't know were possible (piper 140) without you feeling a thing as you have your eyes cossed. I didn't have any training in this so I just did everything possible to get the plane under control--straight and level. On take off my instructor had me dip the nose every few seconds to see over it in an uncontrolled airport. The examiner liked it and it saved my life when a jerk was landing with the wind (light and variable) as I was departing. In conclusion, my examiner looked for confidence, confidence and more confidence in handling the plane and knowing what the maps were trying to tell me. It was a VFR check so he was looking for pilotage and not dependence on instruments, except in the case of unusual attitudes under the hood. Good luck, the best thing to study for is confidence. Greg Mandas ittvax!bunker!gmm DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a CFI, I have let my fight reviews and medical expire and have not flown for 18 months. These are my opions and experiences and are not instruction. There is no warrenty expressed or implied as to the correctness of the procedures described.