Impending FI Skills test! eeek

[pipergirl]

Hi eveyone,
Long time reader, first time poster (well in this section anyway!)...
I am currently doing my FI rating and my skills test is coming up next week-
Just wondering if you have any funny stories, tips and general advice from your own experience for my big day! Am looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time! :sad:

[QNH 1013]

Hi Pipergirl and welcome. An examiner told me that when he is examining potential FIs he has a good idea of how they are going to do by the time they have done the checks, and started the taxi. For example, he looks to see if they close the throttle before releasing the brakes.
Good luck with the test. The whole experience takes at least half a day, but you will probably also learn a lot from the examiner.

[The Nr Fairy]

Can only talk from a rotary perspective. Was bricking myself leading up to the day - didn't think I was good enough.

Come the day, put at ease by the examiner, passed - and it all seemed so easy ! Now's the hard part - flying often enough to put it into practice.

Good luck either way

[S-Works]

Nothing to it really! Don't work yourself up into a state. The examiner is only there to validate the work you put in during the training and your school should not have let you go for the test if you were not ready.

Just relax and perform the way you expect to after the test in the real world!

Good luck.

[jamestkirk]

Hello pipergirl.

The main thing i can remember is that he started the test STRAIGHT away and did not open the throttle fully on T/O. So start as soon as you step in. he did not mind though, as we were chatting on the way out.

I found the whole experience quite interesting and very different from a CPL/IR skills test. He may ask some aerodynamic questions (based on the flight exercise) that he would expect you to know as a F/ATPL holder. Mine was on reduced lateral stability around the longitudinal plane when extending flaps. And why is yaw the secondary effect of yaw etc. But generally stuff you already covered on the course so not really too much of a headache.

If you have not chosen a long brief yet. I did mine on airspace infringements, which went down very well. The CAA produced a document called 'on track' that i used to get the information. It impressed my FI examiner no-end as he wrote it. I acted surprised when he told me that, but i may have known that he wrote it already. I just vained shiort term memory loss.

You will enjoy the test and i perosnally learned more about flying from the FI course than any other.

Let us all know how you get on

Regards
JTK

[FlyingApe]

Hi Pipergirl,

I did my FI test about 18 months ago, and as other posters have commented, learnt a great deal from it.

I look back on it with enjoyment, but actually on the day was quite nervous. Relaxing is the key, but is very difficult under test conditions. I nearly blew a Sim test for an airline the other day due to being too tense - but thats another story! I find that actually repeating relax..relax..relax in my head just before, or even during a test works for me.

I remember on my test I was given ex19 - intro to instrument flying- as the unbriefed exercise. It was the single exercise I had practiced the least in my FI course, but muddled through and still passed. The examiners are huran and do not expect perfection....so relax, and best of British !:)

[pilgrim flyer]

Hi PG

In all the flights I've ever had with examiners I've always had the impression that they are there to pass me, which thankfully they have, in spite of some cock ups.

And I've always learnt something. Tips as follows:

1. The examiner will know whther or not you can fly before you are half way round a circuit. As indeed will you when you start checking people out.

2. He/she is there to pass you. If (when!) you make a mistake point it out, as you should also do when you make a mistake with a student on board. If you cock up a demo then say so and do it again.

3. If you forget your lines then dump the patter and describe what you are doing in English. It is a good idea to have memorised the salient points of the excercise and reiterate these afterwards.

Enjoy it, and your subsequent career. Becoming an FI is one of the best things that I have ever done!

Good luck

PF

[pipergirl]

Well good news..

I passed and am absolutely delighted.:D :)

It was a really positive experience and I have to say I was panicking slightly up until two days ago and just said to myself, relax and just go for it.

Thanks for all the pointers and words of advice...I'm just chuffed to bits:ok:

[pilgrim flyer]

Well done mate, that's quite an achievement!

Do let us know how you get on in youir new 'career'!

(Perhaps vocation would be a more accurate term...)

PF

[Mordacai]

I just wanted to pass my congrats to Pipergirl for her FI pass.

I had the pleasure of being her FI instructor, and would like to let you all know that the examiner said he enjoyed the day, and she did 'awesome'!

Good Job, I just knew you'd do great!

Borat next! :) :)