Skills Test
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 78
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From: Bristol, UK
Skills Test
Yup, the time has finally come, skills test a-rooney on Saturday (weather permitting, at the moment it looks like it ain't gonna permit!). So a couple of questions:
When doing the W&B, do you demonstrate to the examiner your workings out, or do you work it out and then tell him that the a/c is within the POH limits?
and
When doing yer PFL (my achilles heel!), if too high on the approach, S-turn or sideslip to lose height?
and
Constant Aspect or Standard Circuit? (I reckon Standard Circuit but on my mock, I made a complete SNAFU of the PFL, duh! My instructor now wants me to do Constant Aspect)
Cheers dudes.
When doing the W&B, do you demonstrate to the examiner your workings out, or do you work it out and then tell him that the a/c is within the POH limits?
and
When doing yer PFL (my achilles heel!), if too high on the approach, S-turn or sideslip to lose height?
and
Constant Aspect or Standard Circuit? (I reckon Standard Circuit but on my mock, I made a complete SNAFU of the PFL, duh! My instructor now wants me to do Constant Aspect)
Cheers dudes.
Why do it if it's not fun?
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,782
Likes: 12
From: Bournemouth
When doing the W&B, do you demonstrate to the examiner your workings out, or do you work it out and then tell him that the a/c is within the POH limits?
When doing yer PFL (my achilles heel!), if too high on the approach, S-turn or sideslip to lose height?
Constant Aspect or Standard Circuit?
There are plenty of instructors, and a few examiners, who post here regularly and can probably give far more authoritative advice than me, though.
Good luck!
FFF
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,650
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From: Chichester, UK
Best tip for the PFL is to bank to the right when he fails the engine - that way you can see the nice field he just spotted 
...and if there's no nice field then you know the examiner is a complete b
d 
...and if there's no nice field then you know the examiner is a complete b
d
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
From: surrey
When doing yer PFL (my achilles heel!), if too high on the approach, S-turn or sideslip to lose height?
If it's any consolation, I screwed up the PFL during my skills test and thought I had blown it. On the way back to the airfield, the examiner pulled the throttle again and I got it right second time. Test passed.
Good luck,
TG
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
From: London UK
I like the lateral thinking Evo! I have to say, I quite enjoy the surprise of just slowly closing the throttle with nowhere really obvious available - BIG judgment call in terms of survivablity here (I always favour running off the end at 20 knots to smacking into the fence at the beginning of the field at 70!)
My advice is to not try anything new on your test day. Stick to what you know. Also, this time of year think WIND! It might be calm the day before and blowing 20 kt at height the next. Either way your glide gradient will be significantly different.
Good luck.
My advice is to not try anything new on your test day. Stick to what you know. Also, this time of year think WIND! It might be calm the day before and blowing 20 kt at height the next. Either way your glide gradient will be significantly different.
Good luck.
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,130
Likes: 17
From: U.K.
Good luck with the skills test.
Ask your instructor what you should do in relation to side-slipping or S turns, since we do not know the type or which airfield etc it is not possible to make a judgement. Though I have to say, you should really know by now. I suspect your instructor will bang you round the head when you ask them!!
Constant aspect does work well from the downwind to touch down point, Don't do it from the beginning of the PFL, it is too easy to land downwind. Instant fail. Some examiners prefer you to only do it the 'CAA way' of a circuit, but again whatever you feel comfortable with and speak to your instructor, they'll know what it is about.
Always have your working out to hand, it shows you haven't just drawn a line on the sheet!
Evo, an interesting technique, but I can promise you that we do look out of the left window occasionally! Always look for the disused airfield though!!
Ask your instructor what you should do in relation to side-slipping or S turns, since we do not know the type or which airfield etc it is not possible to make a judgement. Though I have to say, you should really know by now. I suspect your instructor will bang you round the head when you ask them!!
Constant aspect does work well from the downwind to touch down point, Don't do it from the beginning of the PFL, it is too easy to land downwind. Instant fail. Some examiners prefer you to only do it the 'CAA way' of a circuit, but again whatever you feel comfortable with and speak to your instructor, they'll know what it is about.
Always have your working out to hand, it shows you haven't just drawn a line on the sheet!
Evo, an interesting technique, but I can promise you that we do look out of the left window occasionally! Always look for the disused airfield though!!
