CPL Nuggets

[Dream2Jet]

Thought I would start a thread to try and get some of the nuggets of good tips from all those who have passed their CPL to assist with the evening study and what kind of things that would ensure a first time pass and impress the examiner.

Thanks!

[Parson]

What stage of training are you currently at?

I assume you are after 'nuggets' for the CPL flight training stage?

[Dream2Jet]

Affirm soon to start CPL just get on the right track.

[RTN11]

Patience.

Let the aircraft settle down at the top of climb, and take the time to trim it properly. This frees you up to look out and think ahead rather than chasing the altitude all the time.

All too often CPL students think they are in a Warrior or Tomahawk, get to top of climb, power attitude trim, and then 5 mins later they are gaining hundreds of feet and wondering why.

In an arrow, it takes time to accelerate fully to 120, and taking the extra time to trim properly pays it's dividend.

[paco]

Having levelled out, don't reduce power until you get the speed you want.

[ohitsro]

Never put the nose of your aircraft where your mind hasn't been 5 minutes before. Especially true for IF flying.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Tricks that contributed best to the success of my CPL...

- Active learning on groundschool: learn by writing and doing, not just reading and listening.

- Book lesson flights in the morning wherever possible, I always performed better if I'd not been doing or thinking about anything else earlier in the day.

- ANR headset, worth every penny in terms of improved concentration. (Well, I borrowed one from work, but same applies)

- PLOG - I designed my own on my computer and printed a pad of them out, tweaking it a few times through the course of my course and optimised to the specific way we flew lessons on the CPL.

- Good trifold kneeboard; all of my tools there on my knee, always to hand. Never fly with less than 3 pens and two VOR plotters, so that if one gets dropped under the seat, I could keep going and retrieve later.

[paco]

Also have approach charts in order of potential usage in case of emergency - ILS on top, VOR below, ADF below that

[bingofuel]

Do not think to far ahead. When taxying out consider the take off, when lined up consider the failure scenario and initial climb, in the climb think about the first leg, dont get fixated on the approach whilst barely airborne or you will be preoccupied and not concentrate sufficiently on the task in hand or soon to occur.

[BillieBob]

Also have approach charts in order of potential usage in case of emergency - ILS on top, VOR below, ADF below thatFor the CPL? Come on, Phil, promise me you'll buck up!

[paco]

Might be doing an IR afterwards - same principle applies to other paperwork. :)

True, though, a bit far ahead. I was in nugget mode. Talking of which, where's that KFC....

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

I have never been an examiner however, I was an instructor for a while and saw a variety of different attitudes and abilities from PPL to CPL level.

I think the key to this is a polished, slick, professional looking operation. You can do this with the way you interact with your instructor/examiner, making sure your planning is thorough, keeping your briefings concise and to the point, checklist discipline, thinking ahead and managing your time. If you can master and put all those things into your operation the flying is the easy part.

Adopting this attitude will work wonders for your future flying career through your learning and development in the flight deck.

[Parson]

'Armchair' flying - at home, learn all your checks, review all you flight profiles, RT calls, emergencies etc. Know all this without having to think about it too much in the air. Saves time and money and frees up your mental capacity for the flying.

[mftx7jrn]

Make the examiner a brew and have a plate of chocolate biscuits for the brief/de-brief!

[Dream2Jet]

Some great bits of info there, thanks very much, I especially like: Never put the nose of your aircraft where your mind hasn't been 5 minutes before, too easy to do that and not be far enough ahead then it all jumps on you at once.

Will add some hobnobs to the checklist but he will only get a biscuit if I get a full pass!

[Fantome]

Your own pre-take off brief (whenever single pilot ops) is crucial. The day you go into the take-off, fat, dumb and happy, is the day the fickle finger of fate is waiting to ensnare you. Many are the pilots who did not take the time to consider their actions in the event of engine failure, before having plenty of height in hand. (And a good many of those paid the ultimate price. And not infrequently, included have been those innocents who happened to be along for the ride. A King Air departing Melbourne for King Island last year comes to mind. ) So tell yourself exactly what you will do if left with no power or in the case of a twin, down to one. The more you have rehearsed your actions beforehand, the better will be the outcome. Sounds obvious, but sometimes, for some pilots, the lesson is hard learned.

The time will come when you can be attentively relaxed and enjoy the benefits that ensure from becoming an increasingly experienced pilot. Two of the best books ever written on the subject of what wings can enable, in terms of an enlightenment, are by the late Harald Penrose, who, following his retirement after years as a test-pilot with the Westland Company at Yeovil, took to flying round southern England in his diminutive single-seat biplane (A Currie Wot). His refections on what this experience brought for him in later life are, in part, an airman's glorious denouement . The books are 'Airymouse' and 'Cloud Cuckooland'. All this is tangential to the thread starter's purpose, but nonetheless, the question remains, why fly? For the view, a lot of the time.

Back on topic, one little tip, if your panel is the old analogue, is to glance at your engine instruments and see how all the needles are aligned. After a while their placement will be fixed in your mind's eye, so that any one, if it has changed position , even a whisker, will instantly be obvious to you .

[mykul10]

Patience.

Let the aircraft settle down at the top of climb, and take the time to trim it properly. This frees you up to look out and think ahead rather than chasing the altitude all the time.

All too often CPL students think they are in a Warrior or Tomahawk, get to top of climb, power attitude trim, and then 5 mins later they are gaining hundreds of feet and wondering why.

In an arrow, it takes time to accelerate fully to 120, and taking the extra time to trim properly pays it's dividend.

Well, power attitude, trim certainly isn't the way to go about it! But I do agree with the sentiment........hurry up slowly is the way to go

[bingofuel]

Is levelling out from a climb not Attitute, Power, Trim?

[RTN11]

A simple typo to see if you were paying attention...:}

But in essence I was saying take the time to let the aircraft accelerate before powering back, and take the time to trim properly, it will save you a headache later on.