Checkride HiJinks - What's the deal?

[Bristol]

Anyone have any good checkride stories. Like what is the weirdest thing an examiner did during your checkride/ Pulling breakers, screwing upi the trim, etc..

 

Paul

[Jeff]

Anyone have any good checkride stories. Like what is the weirdest thing an examiner did during your checkride/ Pulling breakers, screwing upi the trim, etc..

 

Paul

 

I was taking my CFI ride. We were all finished except for parking and paperwork. The examiner asked me to air taxi across the airport to the taxiway leading to the ramp. Still being in the instructor applicant mode, I was narrating the air taxi maneuver. While in the middle of it, I was explaining how we had sufficient altitude and airspeed so as not to be in the cross-hatched area of the H-V curve, and that we could safely autorotate if the engine failed. Just then, he cut the throttle on me! I autorotated with the intention of setting it down on the ground, and the examiner assisted with a power recovery. He said, "I just wanted to see if you could." Looking back, I think he knew all along that I could and just wanted to see my reaction. It was a good experience.

 

Jeff

[delorean]

On my friend's CFI ride in a B47, the examiner (always a joker/prankster kinda guy) put a small rubber cap over the pitot tube. On takeoff, he noticed that the a/s was dead and started to return to base. The examiner said, "Do you NEED a a/s indicator to fly?" "Yes, under Pt......" "No, No, No, I mean do you REALLY need and a/s indicator to fly?" "Well....no" So he made him fly the whole ride with the pitot tube plugged.

[nsdqjr]

I was doing my instrument ride in an R-44 and going through the before starting checklist before the DPE was in the aircraft. I wasn't aware that he was half way in the aircraft as I smoothly, and with full range of motion, raised the collective into his groin. He yelped like a kicked puppy, and needless to say, was somewhat quiet the first .3 or so of the flight. Ahhh, good times...

[jet trash]

On my friend's CFI ride in a B47, the examiner (always a joker/prankster kinda guy) put a small rubber cap over the pitot tube. On takeoff, he noticed that the a/s was dead and started to return to base. The examiner said, "Do you NEED a a/s indicator to fly?" "Yes, under Pt......" "No, No, No, I mean do you REALLY need and a/s indicator to fly?" "Well....no" So he made him fly the whole ride with the pitot tube plugged.

 

 

interesting. however, i find it hard to believe any DPE would put himself in legal limbo with the FAA over such a stunt.

 

i looked at the B47 TCDS and found out the airspeed indicator is required equipment, and i doubt the B47 has a MEL, so therefor it's required for flight. thus, takeoff knowing that it is inoperative is in violation of FAR 91.213. and for good measure, the FAA can always tack on 91.13.

 

if the checkride would have resulted in a failure, the applicant could have easily filed a complaint with the FSDO creating a 709 ride for the DPE, if not a loss of his examining authority.

[Guest pokey]

this wasnt a check ride & it wasnt in a helicopter & it goes wayyyyyyyyyy back,,,,[sherman?]

 

early in my flying "endeavors" , my female instructor had these little suction cup thingies that just so happen to be the EXACT size of the 3&1/4 inch instruments that i relied upon soo much, ie: airspeed indicator, altimeter, VOR indicator,tachometer,vertical speed,,,, she even was soo sneeky to cut them out to fit the other gages like the engine oil pressure, fuel gages ! I can still hear her voice when i think about this & she is tossin' them things all over like hot potatoes " PARTIAL PANEL !!" I really think it made me a "more aware" pilot On the other hand tho, ALL of her "disabling of the instruments" could have been corrected at a moments notice and did not at all jeapordize the safety of the flight. I have, since my training days taken off w/ an inoperative airspeed ( thanks to them dam mud bees) more than once (they can hide deeep in the pitot tube) & always think of good ole Steph

[Superman]

my female instructor had these little suction cup thingies

 

I don't know Pokey, but I don't think this is politically correct nowadays!!!

 

Don't know if I'm just a little loose from the Christmas part this afternoon or what, but I found that prety funny. Reminds me of a female instructor that I know

[Bristol]

Oh boy... xmas party.

Hey, the xmas party for Harley Davidson parts department is at Lollipops, Friday night! I think the warmup is at Saints and Sinners.

 

Paul

[Eric Hunt]

I was conducting a proficiency checkride on a pilot in a B206, and while he was looking out the right window in the hover, doing a clearing turn, I used my left hand to reach over my head and pull the circuit breaker for the engine instruments.

 

He then proceeded to say "Ts and Ps in the green" and launched off for a circuit. Pre-landing checks also included "Ts and Ps in the green" and he said it once more on finals.

 

On the ground again, I asked him what the oil pressure was, and he then noticed it read zero. He didn't believe that I had pulled the breaker before the takeoff. He then noticed the rest of the gauges on zero, and went silent.

 

Another case of rote learning, and looking without seeing.

[Gomer Pylot]

Those suction-cup thingies can come in handy. I usually carry one or two in my bag to practice partial panel on deadhead flights. Once I cleaned out my flight bag, and left them in my locker. On takeoff from a drilling rig at about 2AM, the copilot who was flying from the right seat said "My ADI is goofy". The ADI is the Attitude & Direction Indicator, both artificial horizon and turn needle. I took the controls and continued the takeoff, because it was absolutely black, with no way to fly visually. When we got in cruise, I looked over and his ball was spinning at about 45rpm, canted at an angle. He was getting sick looking at it, and pulling the circuit breaker didn't stop the spinning. It kept it up all the way home, and he was getting very disoriented, even trying not to look at it. If I had had my suction cup thingy, I could have covered it up. Having flown a lot of sim time, as well as in aircraft with actual gauge failures, I can tell you that flying partial panel with gauges covered up is much easier than doing it with gauge failures and the gauges still in sight. Covering them up just isn't realistic.