So the count down has begun

[AussieNick]

so, on the 24th i'll be sitting in an Arrow 3 over the skies of melbourne with an ATO next to me going for my CPL. Yep, thats right, there's someone out there whos gonna let aussienick loose on the contorls of a plane and get paid for it, scary huh.

now can someone tell me why i'm freaked out about the oral examination more than the flight test.....

[apache]

Aussienick....

I wish you all the very best. I do NOT envy you!
I remember well my CPL test many moons ago.
I take it as a good sign that you are more worried about the oral rather than the "physical" part of the test. It means that you are confident in you abilities and skills!
Just remember, do not read too much into the questions. If you think you need more infoprmation, or want a question rephrased... ASK for it!!!!


and again.... best of luck!

think of this more as a "job interview" than a test!

[Tempo]

Good luck.

Try to be practical with your preparation and remember there is the 'need to know' stuff and then there is the 'nice to know' stuff.

Once you passed think of the CPL as your 'P' plates. You have been given a licence to learn/teach yourself. However, set yourself boundaries and know your limitations.

[rodmiller]

hey buddy,

best of luck, i did mine late last year.

Just know the stuff on the form (cpl license application) and all will be well

and remember, if you stuff something up, dont stress, let the ato know that you stuffed up and ask to do it again.

best of luck mate

Rod

[Jerr]

Hi AussieNick

Good luck, one of the best bits of advice was its just another flight. It is.

The ATO said lets assume you pass today, your first job is...and asked all the questions that are on the CPL licence form. Lots of practical questions on the duty and flight time limitations. Then questions on aerodynamics, types of flaps etc.

At the end of the test, he then asked questions about the Arrow, whats that thing that looks like a pitot tube on the side of the fuselage. Its actually the automatic gear extension system. Know the aircraft speeds etc

Now flying twins, so another world now

JERR

[almostthere!]

Maybe if you didn't brush your teeth......

[j3pipercub]

Hey Aussie Nick

I remeber my test well, and the only advice I can offer is to try as much as possible to relax, and treat it like a learning experience. If thet're a good ATO, all they need to do is prove you're safe and teach you a few things on the test.

Good luck and let us all know how you went, regardless.

and Jerr

"Now flying twins, so another world now":ugh: last time I checked they're still dirty ole motor planes, even if they do have two donks???

j3

[The Green Goblin]

Now flying twins, so another world now

JERR

Well laaaaaaaadi dah!

Sad thing is if your attitude does not change, there will always be a warm seat waiting for you at Qantas :}

[AussieNick]

ground theory stuff was fine, MB was fine, EN was fine BUT got behind the ac going up past werribee/melton area and the test was stopped when I got too close to the 1500 step. get another go at it on thursday.

good learning experience for me, know excatly why I stuffed up, great ATO who sat down with me and talked me through it and how to fix it.

Bring on thursday :E

[werbil]

Not the first to get caught in that area - and won't be the last.

Relax for Thursday - good luck.

[the wizard of auz]

you will have no problems on the next run. I managed to get almost all the way home when I made a sustained gross error (headed off on a track that was about fifty degrees out) and the test stopped. Next run was a breeze as I wasn't panicking about it all anymore.
good luck with it.

[j3pipercub]

Don't sweat it Nick, you'll do fine this time

j3

[AussieNick]

Well to everyone who was intersted, I passed with flying colours :)

had my head in the game today and was alot more composed.

now, bring on IREX :p

[tipsy2]

Well done.:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Lasiorhinus]

Well done! Good to hear!

[harropster]

congrats mate! :ok:

[Unusual-Attitude]

Good work! :ok:

[kingRB]

congrats mate, i've been following your thread with interest, as I have my CPL flight test coming up in the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to sharing the same success!

Once again, well done :ok:

[Wally Mk2]

'AN' you got the right attitude, well done:D. Just out of curiosity & this is to help you as you gather experience along the way nothing else but did you realise that you may have been to close to CTA or did the ATO point it out at the last minute? The reason why I ask is that you could have gotten help from Radar if unsure of yr position & obtained a vector to steer you away from CTA, the ATO would have been impressed (or should have been) to see command judgment. Flying the plane itself is the easy bit, airmanship & CMD judgement is everything, that excercise was a valuable lesson. Training thus far has been to get you to a point where yr test ready, from now on you really learn:ok:

Good luck with IF, that's when you will wish you took yr mums advice & became a pastry cook! Just kidding:ok:


Wmk2:)

[Alex 009]

Great acheivement. Well done! :D

[j3pipercub]

Congrats Nick, enjoy the celebrations

j3

[AussieNick]

Wally, I knew the step was there but not how close i was getting to it. basically I didn't have a good enough idea of how i was going to navigate through that area beore I got there and at the last minute realised I was getting too close to the step, but by then the ATO had to say fail.

I know i could have gotten radar to give me a hand but it was a stupid error I made that caused me to fail, hell, i got through there yesterday not a problem :)

[Wally Mk2]

'AN' we have ALL made stupid mistakes thru our flying career, hindsight is a wonderful thing but building that experience means you rarely learn unless you stuff up. I bet from now on you will forever be more aware of yr situational awareness, something that is lacking due the easy use GPS & relying on little else.
Good luck & remember ALWAYS have an out:ok:



Wmk2

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

the test was stopped when I got too close to the 1500 step

Surely you can only be failed for getting "close to a step" if it is clear that you are about to penetrate controlled airspace without a clearance.

I am not aware of anything in the regs that says you can't fly close to steps!

Dr :8

PS: G'donya mate - well done!

[Wally Mk2]

how ya bin there doc?:) Actually there is a tollerance for VFR tracking close to CTA, can't rememer what it is or where it's to be found off the top of my head but am sure some switched on dude in here will bark it out:ok:


Wmk2

[sms777]

Congrats on your achivement.... Go out and celebrate, but let me remind you of one thing.
You have earned nothing but a license to learn. This is a milestone of your flying career and you have passed so far. Now is the the time to face the challenge and think about your future in aviation.
Do not get cocky about your abilities, get out there and ask lots of questions before making decisions and do not be afraid to get on Pprune for advice because we are here to help you.
I wish i had the same resources when i was learning to fly 30 years ago.
Good luck! :ok:

[the wizard of auz]

Yeah, would have been good. You could have asked someone how to spell career. :E

[sms777]

C' mon Wiz, looked at the time. It's wine o clock.

[AussieNick]

thanks for that guys.

Doc, due to the fact that the ATO had doubts as to weather I was situationally aware of the step is grounds for a fail if i remember reading the testing forms right.


either way i learnt from it and its behind me now, and as the boys have said, time to start learning :)

[the wizard of auz]

Ya dead right mate.......... I'm surprised I even saw it. I had to get in before all the other spelling police though. :}:ok:

[werbil]

Well done Nick!

****

Wally Mk2

The AIP states the following navigational tolerances:

0 - 2,000 - +-1nm day / +-2nm night
2,000 - 5,000 - +-2nm day / +-3nm night
5,000 - 10,000 - +-4nm day / +-5nm night

Whether they are legally enforceable or not (ie supported by regs) I don't know. However if you bust the steps and you confess to ignoring the tolerances you're more likely to be hung out to dry. If a pilot busted the tollerances on a CPL test I think the ATO would have no option but to fail the candidate.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

0 - 2,000 - +-1nm day

So you're saying I can be 0.5 nm inside Controlled Airspace and that's OK cause I am within the required nav tolerances?

Dr :8

[werbil]

The AIP has the +- in front of the distances. You're welcome to try it - but I think they'd get you with the CARs.

werbil

[the wizard of auz]

Nup. you still need a clearance to be in the airspace, but can be 0.5Nm off track while your blundering around in there.
I would imagine that your allowed to be off track within the tolerances, but you need to know your off track.

[Zoomy]

Nick, Well done mate.

Wally Mk2 hit the nail on the head, you have the right attitude.

I remember watching an air crash investigators episode once and the lead investigator said, " you should never let the aeroplane go where your brain hasn't been 10 minutes earlier".

As my test officer said to me, (bless his soul), "In a court of law you will now be refered to as Captain (insert name), however this is a licence to learn". His Wife said, " remember, the industry doesn't owe you anything".

So I went on got my commercial knowing I was doing it for myself and if I never got a job so be it, I would be all the more wiser.

Mate good luck with the rest of your career and again well done.

[Pilotette]

Well Done Aussie Nick!! I'm in a similar boat as you..got the illusive CPL and now tackling the Instrument Rating..as my instructor said "welcome to aviation, the learning never ends"!! Enjoy :ok: P

[AussieNick]

just to trawl up an old thread, i passed my IREX exam today.

to set the scene for it, the first 10 questions i had, W.T.F :ugh: