How many fail the PPL test?

[LateFinals]

Don't worry about passing, your instructor won't put you up for it if they think you're not ready !

I'm a member of the growing Partial Pass Club, I just couldn't get steep turns right on the 150 and demonstrated spiral dive recovery during my flight test when I should have been doing steep turns .......

The examiner was very nice about it, I was just going over to Alderney for the summer, borrowed the club plane there and an instuctor for a week where we did steep turns until they were automatic, then the examiner came out the following week when I passed. On the day of the test, over water (Casquets Lighthouse ) it was very hazy in a English Channel sort of way, there was no horizon so I did my repeat steep turns on instruments !

Good Luck !,

LF

[stocker]

ROBBO,

Your mock flight test must be iminent now, good luck and be sure to let us know how you get on.

If you end up routing to Edzel from Perth area watch out for the GVS, not easy to spot if you use half mill charts, close to Drumshade gliding centre.

[Robbo0885]

My mock test is Friday 2nd May, all going well. I have a solo flight booked tomorrow to practice a few things I havent doen for a while (steep turns and stalls in the turn spring to mind!)

Thanks for the tip about the GVS, I've done a fair bit of Navin' around that area, Dundee>Edzell>Blairgowrie for example. Always find the legs from Edzell heading south west tricky-not much to pin point your position with-I'm always on the look out for the GVS-its an easier one for getting the pos fix right.

I actually think i will be more nervous about doing th emock test than the real one. My instructor can be very "direct" with points to improve on, i sometimes get into that stressed out zone where his "direct" criticisms lead to more stress, leading to more mistakes, leading to "even more direct" criticism! Lol. I'm sure everyone has flown with guys like that!

I was talking to someone recently who just re-vald their PPL, and they said they were asked to perform an emergency stop on the runway. Anyone done this? I assume its a case of throttle back, brake as hard but as safely as you can. Just never done it, and wondered if its an unusal thing to be asked to do?

[Brian Abraham]

an emergency stop on the runway

While it may not be something you see on a "required skills" schedule the checker may have just been seeing how the person would react to some thing out of left field. There are occasions where an emergency stop may be required. Some one taxi onto the runway in front of you (does happen) or in some parts of the world you have to contend with the wild life (cattle, sheep, deer, kangaroos). Some very, very expensive aircraft have been written off after encountering same. Good luck with the test, as others have said, your instructor would not put you up for it if he thought you not ready. Remember, often the most senior of aviators can get anxious and suffer sweaty palms when it comes to check time (I certainly did), and checkers realise this and make due allowances (if they are any good themselves). A good checker does not go looking for a reason to fail, he too wants you to join this magical world. Enjoy

[stocker]

remember to brake forcefully but not too aggressive with loads of back pressure to save the prop smacking the tarmac...

I always used to test my brakes just after starting the taxi roll and then offered my instructor the chance to try his. This habit was repeated prior to my test and no emergency stop was asked for.

When heading back from Edzel you can normally see the masts towards Tealing, they are a good indicator of where Dundee is but you probably know that already.

You ca also get PTH on the VOR and pick up a radial from that.

[Robbo0885]

Well, I did my mock test on Friday, went alot better than I had hoped. Nav route wasnt what I was expecting tho- Dundee direct to the VRP Bailleston junction on the edge of Glasgows airspace, then on to Crief and up to Pitlochery, back to Dundee. Direct from Dundee to Bailleston took me within a few nms of Edinburgh zone, and crossed through Cumbernaulds ATZ. I was with Scotttish from Newburgh until Cumbernauld, talked briefly to them before changing Glasgow. I thought I should have maybe spoken to Ed, but my instructor said it wasnt a biggie, as I was talking to Scottish and that I was outwith the Ed zone.

Everything went well until I messed up on my PFL, that got my stressed out and when we got back to circuits at Dundee, I messed up a few through stressing out. We called it quits for the day after 2 and a half hours, with the aim to practice PFLs and the differenct circuit cofigs over 2 lessons. Then its in for the test!