Well I woke up early again today. Darn!! So I started studying some more hoping to find something that I had missed in my instrument knowledge. Around 10ish I headed off to the school house to get ready for the check-ride. After finishing up some paperwork I grabbed a bite to eat, knowing I need a full belly to fly and think.
At 1300.. I met with Joe and started the oral portion of the check-ride... I felt relaxed, I told myself I knew the material and I was happy with my flying so I didn't have much to be nervous about (so I thought). Well things started out a little rough, Joe was asking questions in more of a critical thinking and scenario based format then straight questions. And for some reason it took my brain a little to shift gears (my tiredness was showing). Joe even commented "Derek what's up" I just told him I was tired and adjusted my thinking process. Joe's line of questioning is great in the fact that he handles three or four theories in one question. And as a teacher myself I like it. Then we started looking at my cross country plan. Joe assigned me a flight from Montgomery to Santa Barbara to plan out. This was fairly easy in the fact that the route is a canned route under the label of tower en-route section in the Airport Facilities directory.
So my only challenge was to check the weather confirm if an alternate was needed. The weather was planned to be good at the time of departure so my alternate to Santa Ynez would be fine for the flight. Now a little side note about the alternate... I choose a alternate and filed one because it was my personal minimums that required one.
Well this was were my knowledge had some descripencies with my understanding of the Federal Aviation Regulations, and Joe found it .. quick! Joe asked me when is a alternate required.. and I simply stated the 1,2,3 rule .. being one hour and one hour after the intended ETA the weather must have 2000' ceiling or greater with 3 miles visibility if not an alternate is required. Being the smart educator he is, are you sure. And I said yes! Then I knew I was in trouble, as he told me to look it up. As I looked it up he guided me through the wordy legal type wording under
91. 169... (a) of this part; / (2) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an alternate airport. / (b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if : / (1) Part 97 .. so after much pulling from Joe the light came on for me.. you always need an alternate expect for ... Strike one! Then we discussed my plan and how I'd fly the flight, the weather and etc.
Joe gave me my clearance information for the flight I had developed and he wanted to see how I'd fly the flight.. The clearance was cleared to SBA, left 270 - Radar vectors to OCN, climb to 3000 expect 4000' within 10 minutes, freq 119.6, squawk 1234.
I read it back and took off on "paper". Once airborne at 200', I lost my radios. Now what? Joe asks. So I tell him I'm going continue my climb after passing 827' (400' AGL). I'd turn left 270 degrees while climbing to 4400' the minimum safe altitude, go to the mission bay vor then turn direct to ocean side vor.
Once over OCN I'd follow the minimum en-route altitudes (MEAs). His eyebrows raised as he told me he needed a break. I took the hint and started looking again. Unfortunately I didn't find anything, nor did I remember the wise lesson Brett had given me yesterday (to follow soon). Once back I told Joe my route and went over the route religiously following the MEA's along the route. He said ok, and we moved on for a few more questions. After about five minutes, he was done asking questions, but informed me that I had failed my oral portion of my checkride, and we were done for the day. I was shocked! What had I missed, darn it!! Now comes the education from Joe!
Joe walked me through me my errors, and he explained I failed because of my confident understanding of the minimum altitude rules under lost communication. The problem I was confident yet wrong. So I looked up the rules again under 91.185 section 2.
Joe and I read the rules and he explained that I followed MEA's but failed to follow the highest of the three rule, and I should have never gone below the 4000' I had been given. By not doing that I had stayed on the MEA route's religiously but had gone below the last assigned and missed a minimum crossing altitude change over LAX.. (I totally missed the symbol and blew through LAX's pattern at 2500') He joking mentioned "this is where you made the news!" I laughed but understood the gravity of my understanding (and lack of) of the rules. Joe also reminded me that I should always know my route and have a plan if I lost coms, so I'm not having to look for MEA's and MCA's in a moving plan at night in the rain! (because radio always break at night and in the rain!)
It was about that time it hit me! Brett gave me 5000' clearance yesterday, and I thought I comprehended do not go below the last assigned but I missed it today!!! DARN IT!!! DARN IT!!! DARN IT!!!
I shared with Joe my lesson from yesterday, only if I had absorbed it. He reminded me that Instrument rating is challenging, its better to learn the lessons on the ground and I will be a IFR pilot soon.
As we wrapped up I shook Joe's hand and told him I understood and took to heart the lesson he showed me. The detail matters, and I had missed them today. From my military background I knew that lesson but some how lost that lesson. I had missed the word except.. and the rules of the alitude during lost communications. Some people may say it is not a big deal and it is smantics but I don't believe that and as a professional loadmaster and someone who makes a living in aviaition I understand my errors.
Yes, I'm mad and disappointed but it was my fault and I missed those details. And missing details will kill you in aviation. So tomorrow I will hit the FAR's again and reread each one slower understanding each , except and or! My makeup checkride will be this sunday or next wed.
So tonight I'm headed to bed for a good nights rest.
At 1300.. I met with Joe and started the oral portion of the check-ride... I felt relaxed, I told myself I knew the material and I was happy with my flying so I didn't have much to be nervous about (so I thought). Well things started out a little rough, Joe was asking questions in more of a critical thinking and scenario based format then straight questions. And for some reason it took my brain a little to shift gears (my tiredness was showing). Joe even commented "Derek what's up" I just told him I was tired and adjusted my thinking process. Joe's line of questioning is great in the fact that he handles three or four theories in one question. And as a teacher myself I like it. Then we started looking at my cross country plan. Joe assigned me a flight from Montgomery to Santa Barbara to plan out. This was fairly easy in the fact that the route is a canned route under the label of tower en-route section in the Airport Facilities directory.
So my only challenge was to check the weather confirm if an alternate was needed. The weather was planned to be good at the time of departure so my alternate to Santa Ynez would be fine for the flight. Now a little side note about the alternate... I choose a alternate and filed one because it was my personal minimums that required one.
Well this was were my knowledge had some descripencies with my understanding of the Federal Aviation Regulations, and Joe found it .. quick! Joe asked me when is a alternate required.. and I simply stated the 1,2,3 rule .. being one hour and one hour after the intended ETA the weather must have 2000' ceiling or greater with 3 miles visibility if not an alternate is required. Being the smart educator he is, are you sure. And I said yes! Then I knew I was in trouble, as he told me to look it up. As I looked it up he guided me through the wordy legal type wording under
91. 169... (a) of this part; / (2) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an alternate airport. / (b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if : / (1) Part 97 .. so after much pulling from Joe the light came on for me.. you always need an alternate expect for ... Strike one! Then we discussed my plan and how I'd fly the flight, the weather and etc.
Joe gave me my clearance information for the flight I had developed and he wanted to see how I'd fly the flight.. The clearance was cleared to SBA, left 270 - Radar vectors to OCN, climb to 3000 expect 4000' within 10 minutes, freq 119.6, squawk 1234.
I read it back and took off on "paper". Once airborne at 200', I lost my radios. Now what? Joe asks. So I tell him I'm going continue my climb after passing 827' (400' AGL). I'd turn left 270 degrees while climbing to 4400' the minimum safe altitude, go to the mission bay vor then turn direct to ocean side vor.
Joe walked me through me my errors, and he explained I failed because of my confident understanding of the minimum altitude rules under lost communication. The problem I was confident yet wrong. So I looked up the rules again under 91.185 section 2.
Joe and I read the rules and he explained that I followed MEA's but failed to follow the highest of the three rule, and I should have never gone below the 4000' I had been given. By not doing that I had stayed on the MEA route's religiously but had gone below the last assigned and missed a minimum crossing altitude change over LAX.. (I totally missed the symbol and blew through LAX's pattern at 2500') He joking mentioned "this is where you made the news!" I laughed but understood the gravity of my understanding (and lack of) of the rules. Joe also reminded me that I should always know my route and have a plan if I lost coms, so I'm not having to look for MEA's and MCA's in a moving plan at night in the rain! (because radio always break at night and in the rain!)
It was about that time it hit me! Brett gave me 5000' clearance yesterday, and I thought I comprehended do not go below the last assigned but I missed it today!!! DARN IT!!! DARN IT!!! DARN IT!!!
I shared with Joe my lesson from yesterday, only if I had absorbed it. He reminded me that Instrument rating is challenging, its better to learn the lessons on the ground and I will be a IFR pilot soon.
As we wrapped up I shook Joe's hand and told him I understood and took to heart the lesson he showed me. The detail matters, and I had missed them today. From my military background I knew that lesson but some how lost that lesson. I had missed the word except.. and the rules of the alitude during lost communications. Some people may say it is not a big deal and it is smantics but I don't believe that and as a professional loadmaster and someone who makes a living in aviaition I understand my errors.
Yes, I'm mad and disappointed but it was my fault and I missed those details. And missing details will kill you in aviation. So tomorrow I will hit the FAR's again and reread each one slower understanding each , except and or! My makeup checkride will be this sunday or next wed.
So tonight I'm headed to bed for a good nights rest.
