Great idea for a thread!
I got a partial pass the first time. The NAV went really well, as did all the upper air work and even the PFL (but I think the wonderful Bob Cook at BA, Wycombe, was being kind to me: "don't worry, nobody ever gets that 100% right" he said as I climbed away from a barely passable attempt!).
But when we got back to the circuit, my world fell apart. We had a blustery cross wind, which was also generating quite a bit of shear on final approach. I made a mess of the crosswind landings as a result. I hadn't done many in the period leading up to the test, and I went to jelly. Although we survived (!) it wasn't up to par, and so I was given the partial pass (I think quite right too).
Anyway, the CFI took me out that afternoon for some cross-wind circuit bashing and said he reckoned I was just about up to standard at the end of it... but I was too drained to attempt the test again and so I came back the next Saturday and flew the circuits (in relatively benign conditions) and passed.
Since then, I've worked at getting x-wind right and have learned the technique that works best "for me" (I like to get the wing down by ~300' or 200' rather than crab all the way down and kick at straight at the end). Now it's one of the most satisfying things about flying, and I look forward to it!
So there, that's my confession
Andy
