PPL SKILL Test in heavy 152 tips

[echoindiajuliet]

Hey everyone i am currently awaiting the news of the day of my flight test.Doing it in the west coast of ireland and it should be occuring within a week the weather has been marginal to say the least over the last few weeks! the cold fronts and depressions never seem to cease! well anyway i was just wondering if any one could offer me any helpfull advice to optimise my performance on D-day:) right now i have to say i fear the inflight diversion the most plus the fact that i have had to learn how to fly a c152 all over since the c172 i was scheduled to do the test in and the aeroplane i had been flying for the last year was found to have a major crack in the crankcase grounding it for the time being! what is actually quite worrying is that the B.E.W of the c152 is 560kg and its max gross weight is 758kg not leaving alot of room left for usable fuel after duducting pilots:rolleyes: so i hope the examiner will understand! well guys hope yee can get back to me on this,i really cant wait to gain my ppl ive been dreaming of it since i started 2 years ago nearly:ok:

[JohnGV]

Hey dude,

This is my advice, it wasnt so long ago i had mine....

1.)Obviously, get a real good nights sleep!

2.)Know The C152 operating handbook like the back of your hand, you will be expected to quote from memory how entire systems of the aircraft work. You should know every Vspeed for your aircraft. If you dont know something, dont guess! Tell the examiner you are not entirely sure but with reference to the POH you will find the answer.

3.)Have a good breakfast!

4.) Chew gum - this helps me greatly, chewing is supposed to optimise the brains performance somehow. others may find this strange but i think it helps!

5.)If you make a mistake - dont give up,i.e. providing you notice you have dropped in altitude, show the examiner you are immediately doing something about it.

6.) dont get yourself unnecessarily worked up and stressed! the examiner knows its a difficult situation and they do allow for some errors. (in my opinion, in you flight test, you never fly as well as you can normally due to the stress involved)

7.) Diversions... EASY! dont worry about it.

-draw a circle around your postion,

-draw a circle around your diversion airport.

-then draw a rough line between the two.

- then, take your pencil and hover it lenght ways over your track line, then carry it carefully to the nearest VOR compass rose on your chart (this gives you your heading straight away in magnetic!)

-Then (having worked out a part of your finger or hand that equals something like 5 or 10 nautical miles on your chart) count how far it is roughly from your position, to the destination.

-then, If you are flying at 90kias, approximately 2/3rds of your distance gives you your time to get there! this is the rule of thumb.

-Try to follow a highway, or river something similiar that will take you to your destination.

Diversions remember :

Circle Cirlcle Line,Heading Distance Time

8.)treat the examiner like a passenger

9.) in all excercises that you feel less sure about, write down key things to remember on your kneeboard, this will help you remember at the crucial moment.

10.) when landing, if you have a strong x-wind, do noy be afraid to request a more into wind runway, this will impress the examiner.

11.) remeber taxi control corrections for x-wind

12.) precautionary and forced landings. remember to point out to the examiner that you would sqawk 7700 if engine fails and you would change to 121.5 BEFORE transmitting the pretend distress call.

13.) if you miss an instruction or clearance form ATC DO NOT ask the examiner what was said- say to tower SAY AGAIN

Thats all i got for now, hope some of that helps

GOODLUCK! you will be fine!

Regards JV

[Mark1234]

And, I'd have to say with reference to the original post, make sure you're W&B is ok..

But otherwise, don't stress.. you can fly it ok, or you'd not be up for the test.

[JohnGV]

YES! wel said Mark! V important!:ok:

[gadude]

If your examaner is a half decent bloke/girl. than he/she is not out there to fail you.
If you are not sure about anything he asked, DO NOT MAKE IT UP. just say, "i am not sure but look it up for you in the poh.

finaly i have a question, Do you guys fly in and out off controlled airspace as i understand you do??
Why would you change to 121.5 to make a (pretent) maday call? why not do it on the tower frequentie?

And maybe before you sit the test go for a flight with an instructor in the 152, rather than have your 1st flight with the exam guy/girl.
there easy to fly just a bit lighter on the controls etc.



All the best with your test!!

[JohnGV]

Garude,

You would change frequencie to 121.5 to transmit your distress call because it is the PROPER ICAO worldwide frequency that you are supposed to transmit on.

If nobody is monitoring it (which there should be!) Then you go over to your nearest flight service station.

It is my understanding from friends down your way that this is the same for you too! maybe remember that!

Yes, like i said... if you dont know something, reference your POH

[BackPacker]

You would change frequencie to 121.5 to transmit your distress call because it is the PROPER ICAO worldwide frequency that you are supposed to transmit on.

...in absence of any other frequencies to use.

But if you're in contact with a full ATC service (on a FIS, say. Or flight following in the US.) it is far better to declare your mayday directly with them. They already have your details, maybe have you on radar too. So they are at that point in the best position to help. Never mind that that ATC unit is probably also physically nearer to you and most likely more familiar with local landmarks, terrain and so forth, and maybe even has more direct access to the emergency services.

And when you're on a discrete squawk (a squawk given to you by ATC, so not a generic code like 7000) it's best not to change it to 7700. That will cause the radar to lose the relation between your squawk and your callsign/details (unless it's a very smart unit - any ATCO can advise on this?)

In the UK, if they need D&D to triangulate or something else, ATC will tell you to switch to 121.5.

Outside the UK, and particularly outside the Western world, you will also find that there is no dedicated ground unit monitoring 121.5 24/7. CAT will be monitoring it, most of the time, so that they can relay your message - most likely to the ATC unit you were already talking to before you switched to 121.5...

[dublinpilot]

Well, on my Irish Skills test the only mayday call that I had to make was during the PFL. This was not transmitted on the radio, but just spoken to the examiner on the intercom.

dp

[18greens]

'Make sure you W&B is OK'

Unless you both weigh 10st you will not have enough fuel for a test. All 152s suffer this problem.

Find out your examiners weight (the school will know it) , do a W&B and show it to your instructor. They will have a way around it.

[cpl4hire]

Lots of good advice here but getting back to Echoindiajulliet's original query about weight and the C150 in particular (although before the PPRUNE pedants jump on me I guess this applies to any plane).
As long as you are within the weight and balance limits, it will fly just fine.
A while ago I took an 18 Stone friend up in C150 and a lot of people at the club expressed concern (he is a real fat biffer) but I calculated how much fuel I could take on and keep below Max take off weight. Several people checked my figures and we all came to within a few pounds/kilos of the same answer.
The take off run was a little longer than usual but that was the only difference. Obviously its winter and if your taking off from wet grass factor this into your abort point calculation.

PS At the risk of whipping the Pedants up into a frenzy, I actually find the C150 easier to land than the C172

Good luck with the test,

cpl4hire

[GWidgery]

Some more general stuff....

Remember that the main thing the examiner is looking for is safety. It doesn't matter too much if your flying isn't perfect, as long as it's all done in a safe and legal way. If you're asked to do a maneuver and you're not happy with how it went, say so, and you'll probably be just asked to do another one.

Also, remember to prioritise: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. Especially around busy periods like the diversion point or PFL. The main thing to do is to keep flying the plane safely, and remember to keep a good lookout going!

Good luck! Just like the other guys have said, you're only put for the test by your instructor when you're ready.

[echoindiajuliet]

That was great advice guys i feel more confident about it now:ok: great little phrase to remember for the diversion also "circle circle line heading distance time" and after reading all your posts im really gona dig into the flight manual now! i remember items such as VNE 149,VFE 85,VNO max 111,VA 104! Whats strange though if you guys would have any suggestions regarding the W andB is how a 152 which weighed 515kg BEW originally could suddenly jump to 560kg well saying that over a good few years,but even the instructors are scratching their heads since only minimal radio equipment was added etc. maybe a coat of paint added the extra 45 kg:)

[JohnGV]

Hi all,

I stand utterly corrected on the 121.5 issue. I read up on this after posting and sure enough , you should try broadcasting MAYDAY on your current frequency THEN go to 121.5 if no luck!

Dublin pilot,

Yes, you are right, you would not ACTUALLY broadcast a mayday call (if you did you would probably lose your licence before you even got it!!!!!)

But you simulate one, pretending to do all you would in the real situation.

[JohnGV]

Oh and Backpacker....

Im going to have to entirely disagree with you on the squwking!

You should ALWAYS chasnge to 7700 in an engine failure... or anyother situation regarding immediate emergency assistance!

This is the only wauy to ensure that whosever radar coverage you are in is immediately alerted to your position!

7700 flashes up and lights up the screen bringing attention straight to you, If it takes away your ident, what does it matter!? there are still going to be services sent to aid you! and accompamying a distress call, its not going to take a genius ATC to put two and two together and think 'Hm, station transmitting distress call must be the same as person squawking 7700!

121.5 - airline pilots continuously monitor it. US + Canadian ATC always monitor and record it!

Cheers,
JV

[Comanche250]

JohnGV, I am going to have to entirely disagree with you on the squwking

If you are talking to an ATCU and have been given a transponder code you must NOT change unless you are told to! What happens if there are two emergencies? Both with the same emergency code of 7700?

If you have transmitted a distress message over the VHF frequency you are currently working then as Backpacker said, they know the area you are in, they know who you are, they know what height you are at if you've been using Mode Charlie and they can track you. They will sort out SAR if needed, thats what they are there for, they have procedures for it. There is no point in squawking 7700 as you've spoken to them, they know your registration as that is part of the mayday call and they will have you identified on radar with a tag so leave it at that until you're told to change the code.

I would agree with you if you weren't in controlled airspace, didn't have an assigned code and/or were not in contact with an ATCU. Then squawk 7700. But otherwise leave the code as it is until told to change.

C250

[JEM60]

Hi, John GV. I note your remarks about the effects of stress. Ridiculous thing was that on my test, I flew better than I ever did, before or since!!!
I'm not blowing my own trumpet here, this is simply how it happened. Stress affects people different ways, I guess.
I also have to say that i thoroughly enjoyed it, even noticing, and remarking to the examiner that I could feel the airflow burbling about on the elevators during a full flap approach, putting it on the numbers on touchdown, when asked to do so, and the stall warner going just as the wheels touched. Only about the third time that ever happened to me.
Exams like these can be enjoyable, and should anyone be unlucky enough to fail, then remember it is for your and everybody else's safety.

[JohnGV]

Ok fair comment Commanche,

I yield to your superior knowledge and experience. Which im sure you have, seen as im a new PPL this year!

Jem60,
My flight test didnt go too badly either in terms of stress. Im not sure i can personally say it was the best i had ever flown.

I got a little vexed whenestablished at cruise after departure, because the reality of being on my flight test rushed to me! lol I asked to take 10 seconds to gather myself and got it together!!

I think the thing that suprised me the most was that the things i did excellently in were the excercises i was fearing the most! I then did more on the side of average on the excercises that i felt most confident about!

Regards

Johngv

[JohnGV]

Socal-app,

Good to know, i thought i had been taught wrong. obviously canada and States are alike.

Thanks,
Johngv

Oh - and regards the other thread - no im no lumberjack although im thinkin about gettin into it as it seems a good money maker! lol

[gadude]

When i am at work (very remote australia at rahter low level) i do always have 121.5 on standby plus the centre frequentie on the 1st screen or what ever you call it.
unfortunatly i am not sure wether anyone would hear me if i did put a maday call in since we sometimes operate out off any radio reach and HF could be hard to reach.
we just hope the ELT will work, we do have a company gps tracking device and a satelite switch we can activate wich will set the alarm bells off back at the office.


With your flight test mate, even with your PFL, do not stress!! you will be at plenty off hight to to calmly go over your cheks. and even talk tru them.
(i do wen i practise them)
good luck:ok:

[Comanche250]

JohnGV I was indeed referring to the UK. Apologies, I'll have to read where people are from in the future!

[JohnGV]

Commanche,

No worries, im keen to learn more about uk airlaw as im heading back tomorrow, would love to get some flyin in whilst over there but concerned that everythin mayb completely differnet!!:bored:

[DX Wombat]

In the UK, if they need D&D to triangulate or something else, ATC will tell you to switch to 121.5.
7700 will also trigger the trig system at D&D (provided you are high enough)

[javelin]

Takes me back a bit..........

There was/is/don't know, a CAFU examiner-ess who, being of a stout nature and vindictive disposition, could not complete a GFT on one tank of fuel to stay within the weight & balance.

Caused all sorts of problems around the training centres for the candidates.

Still works for the Ministry apparently and is still causing havoc :ooh: