OK ladies and gentlemen, I passed my test yesterday.
Thank you very much for all your stories and replies.
Keep them coming please, I actually remembered some of them as I was busy with my test.
This is what the examiner put me through:
>When we got to the plane he asked me a whole lot of questions about the plane (Aztec), recent flights I did, engine temps during those flights, which engine is harder to start, which engine would I start 1st etc. Normal enough I guess.
>After the runup he wanted me to request a touch and go first, he didn't like my first approach ( high and steep full flaps) so made me do a go-around at 150 feet.
No big surprise he pulled the throttle on the crirical engine(left, the one with the hydraulic pump)just after I applied full pwr.
Had to pump the gear up manually and climb to 500' when he gave the engine back. Liked the 2nd appraoch and I managed to kiss it on with very sweaty hands.
>At 3500' he wanted to see a Vmc demo which went fine.
Steep turns next, as I rolled out of one we went trough our own wake so he goes "what the hell is that?"That was kinda funny.
>Asked me to crossfeed, right engine fuel from left outboard.
Tried to trick me into slowflight while crossfeeding.
>Slow flight dirty and slowflight clean. Failed the right engine during slowflight with the fuel shut-off at 3500'.
As I was going through the drills I drifted down intentionally at 200fpm and reduced the pwr on the good engine. He wasn't too happy as he expected me to hold altitude.
So I told him there was no rush, no need to burn up the good one, no rush to feather since we where at 3500 AGL and within 10 miles of the airport.
>Then he decides to play the experienced multi-guy who needs a checkout. Told me to test him on his single-engine drills.
So I told him I assumed we would have briefed everything on the ground prior to flight on which he replied "No I felt that wasn't necessary since I'm so experienced" OK
So I pointed at the right engine told him I would fail the RIGHT and slowly pulled the right throttle back. He was (pleasantly?) surprised that I used the throttle iso mixture. Anyway he kept the wings level and tried to feather right away. He couldn't since I had my hand on the quadrant so we started discussing the need for fix or feather as I noticed him slowing down below blueline. Pushed on the yoke with a couple of fingers to remind him when he shouted "who's flying this plane you or me?" So I told him.
So we agree he can sim feather so he pulls the left lever back, only about an inch since I kep my hand there during this whole scene. I'm looking at it thinking something's wrong here, after all his distractions it took a second to realize he was about to pull the wrong one. Almost missed that one
> Now we head back for the airport, he's flying.
We' re doing about 180mph in the descent so I knew he was going to try to get me too fast on downwind. I also noticed that he had been messing with the gear lights as I was scanning for traffic. So when he looked outside (it took two tries) I screwed the bulb back in when he scanning for traffic.
Now we're at 170mph on downwind with a gearspeed of 150mph.
He tried to put the gear down but his hand never made it to the handle. Asked me to slow it down by now we're at the end of downwind with the gear still up. So I used the handpump again to speed the process up a little and told him "3 greens" at which he raised an eyebrow (he's good at doing that, it freaks me out) and looked down. Got him on that one. So he wanted to do the landing and told me to give him flaps as he was turning base. Which I did, so now he starts talking about possible flap assymetry and whether it is even possible with an Aztec.
While we talking about this he turns (fairly) steep for final at 300' and asks for full flap which I refused.
Now he tries to land with partial power so I pulled the throttles back. He taxies in and parkes since there are no brakes on the r/h side. As I'm doing the shut down checks with my head down I noticed the ground move in the corner of my eye and yelled "BRAKES" as we where on a very busy ramp. He liked that one.
I'm now 5lbs lighter but very happy.
Any comments on this ride? Easy or hard?
I personally feel he didn't do everything in the book but he certainly tried to rattle me on everything I did. Up to the very last second even.
Not to mention the fact I was so nervous before he showed up I could not decide between
and
For the careful readers. I did follow some of your advice; mainly not to rush things, keep my eyes on a stick, not to use the mixture if it is not absolutely necessary and oh did I mention that keep my eyes on a stick.
Thanks.