Check out Fred Sweet's website

https://realcfi.com/

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Haven't posted much this year.  Why?  Not much has changed.  Until now.  I like to see people succeed in their endeavors and it pains me to not be able to issue a pilot certificate when they have worked so hard.  A lot of issues really relate to basic airmanship and knowledge.  So let me present some of the trends I'm seeing.

Private & Commercial:  Flight planning.  I don't care what you use for flight planing, old fashion paper, ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or what have you, it's your choice.  Here's the issue, several people don't know how headings, ground speed and fuel burns are calculated.  Pilots who show up using paper charts and flight planning forms generally do better than the others but some just copy from a computer based application.  For example, I had a pilot show up for his private pilot checkride.  He presented a beautiful flight plan to his destination.  He told me it would take a couple of hours of flight time and about 18 gallons of gas, which all made sense.  I asked what the distance was and  how long it would take to get between check point B and C.  He said about 12 mins.  Great!  I asked what would your groundspeed be if it took us 14 minutes to fly between those points.  There was a short pause and he said "we would be slower" which was obviously correct but what was our actual groundspeed?  He fumbled with calculator and then the ACA electronic e6b, clearly at a loss.  I left him alone for about 20 minutes.  When I return he said he was sorry but he couldn't come up with an answer.  If we were to back up 5 years, I could ask this question in an airplane without GPS and have a correct answer in 5 minutes.  Now I ask it on the ground because of the struggle involved while we are flying.  

The rest of the ground for this applicant went pretty well, so I let this question slide.  We made it to the airplane and started off on the cross country.  About 15 minutes into the flight I ask what our ground speed was and how long it would take to get to our destination.  This was a pretty well equipped older 172 with a G650.  Unfortunately, after 15 minutes of uneasiness, the applicant admitted he didn't know.  Clearly defeated, the pilot elected to return home.

Private & Commercial Flight:  Take off & Landings.  Hands down the biggest problems on these rides.  Most of the problem are two fold.  Lack of crosswind correction and/or flaring incorrectly leading to hard, flat landings, or bouncing.

One applicant came returned to his home airport after completing most of the in flight maneuvers for the private pilot check ride.  The first landing was to be a short field landing on the 500 foot markers.  Winds were 90 degrees to the runway at about 8-10 knots.  The pilot hit the 500 foot markers flat and bounced on one but twice and came to a sliding stop off well off centerline.  Shortly after stopping the tower asked if the pilot was solo or if an instructor was with him (that's generally not a good sign). The pilot admitted he was on a check ride.  Tower offered the other runway which was directly into the wind.  The pilot elected to stay on the current runway for the remainder of the check ride.  After 5 go-arounds the check ride was ended. Unfortunately, none of the take off and landings met ASC requirements of the ACS and the pilot show lack of good decision making by not taking a runway more aligned with the wind.  Ughh!

Instrument check rides:  These three occur frequently, Navigating on an airway, Circling approaches, and Holding.

 Navigating on an airway.  Say ATC says fly heading 360 intercept V123.  How would you set that up on your navigation equipment and intercept the airway?  There are several ways to do it yet it gets screwed up a lot.  I recommend knowing two ways.  One using the GPS and a second using old school VORs.  (remember VORs are the backup to a GPS outage or failure).

Circling Approaches:  Basically this pilots are circling in the wrong direction and/or what to close to the runway.  Remember at non towered airports you are required to comply with 91.126. (enough said about that.  Google for the FAA legal interpretation and a good AOPA article).  Most pilots circle way too close to the runway because they fear going outside the protected circling radius.  In reality, I think most pilot just don't know how to determine distance by looking out the window and what a correct sight picture is when circling at 500 ft AGL.  

Holding:  This isn't really a holding issue but more of a programming issue.  For example.  How would you set up a hold on your equipment if ATC said "N1234 Hold northwest of TEDDY on V24"?   The second programming issue has been a situation where you completed a missed approach and are holding as published when ATC say "expect ILS runway XX".  Several applicant have loaded that next approach but also deleted the holding pattern that they are currently in.   Talk about an "Oh Crap" moment!  How you recover from that could be the pass/fail decision on a check ride.  


​Fly Good and don't pet a burning cat! 

Here's the link to the new 61.65

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_61-65K.pdf

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​Republished with permission from another DPE...
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Please see the referenced legal interpretation which clarify the regs and are considered compulsory/mandatory. 

1. 250 hours of pilot time: Part 61.129(a) requires total “flight time as a pilot” of 250 hours. “Flight time as a pilot” does not require a level of training proficiency. Consequently, “flight time” accrued toward a private pilot certificate can be used to meet the requirements of 61.129(a)(1) & (2). 

 

1. Private pilot training that cannot be used toward Commercial certificate.  A PVT pilot certificate is required to be eligible for a commercial certificate, and the "20 hours of training" of 61.129(a)(3) toward the commercial certificate must occur while training for the commercial certificate. (Theriault 2010 legal interpretation). Further, training for a private pilot certificate does not meet the performance standards of a commercial certificate (Legal Interpretation Murphy 2011). Examples of training time toward a private pilot certificate that cannot be used to meet 61.129(a)(3):

 

1. Complex, TAA and Turbine time 
2. Cross country time
3. Instrument time
4. Night time

 

1. Instrument Rating may not meet requirements of instrument training for commercial certificate. While training for an instrument rating, many may or might accomplish part or all the requirements for a commercial certificate. However, an instrument rating in and of itself does not provide proof of meeting the requirements 61.129(a)(3)(i) (Legal Interpretations Hartzell 2010 and Oord 2018) which include: 
   1. Attitude instrument flying
   2. Partial Panel Skills
   3. Recovery from unusual flight attitudes
   4. Intercepting and tracking navigational systems

 

1. Use of Instrument Rating (IR) training toward a commercial certificate:  In order to have IR training apply toward the commercial certificate instrument time, the training entries must specifically document meeting the requirements as outlined in 61.129(a)(3)(i) which could be done by referencing 61.129(a)(3)(i) or by documenting the training using the same phraseology as outlined in this same regulation. Examples of instrument training time “Remarks” that can be used toward the requirements of 61.129(a)(3)(i):

 

1. “Instrument maneuvers and training to meet the requirements of 61.129(a)(3)(i)”
2. “RNAV 13 partial panel, ILS 4, attitude instrument, intercepting and tracking courses” then another entry my have “VOR-A & unusual attitudes”  

 

1. Who may provide the instrument training toward a commercial certificate: Per 61.195 a flight instructor my conduct instrument training required for the commercial pilot certificates only if has an instrument rating on their CFI certificate. However, commercial helicopter rating requirement of 61.129(c)(3)(i) is for “control and maneuvering solely by reference to instruments” which is technically not the same as “instrument training”. Therefore, a CFII certificate is not required to provide the training by reference to instruments for commercial helicopter certificate (Legal Interpretation Jablecki 2016).  

 

1. Using instrument rating cross-country training toward commercial certificate cross country training requirements. The two commercial dual cross countries required under 61.129(a)(3)(iii), can be done either IFR or VFR. (Legal Interpretation Sun 2011). Legal interpretations of Hartzell 2010 and Oord-AOPA 2018 state training for an instrument rating can be applied toward the instrument experience required by 61.129(a)(3)(i) if documented appropriately (see above). However, the legal interpretations do not prohibit nor clearly specify instrument rating cross country training may be applied toward the commercial cross country training requirements of 61.129(a)(3)(iii). Therefore, performing a cross-country during instrument training potentially might satisfy the requirements of a commercial dual cross country but is likely subject to the interpretations of the testing DPE or FSDO. While using one training flight to satisfy requirements of both the instrument rating cross country and a commercial cross country is not prohibited, until legal interpretation can validate this position, discretion would dictate a separate flight training event. 

 
 
Hartzell 2010: 
 
“the hours of training used to obtain the instrument rating will meet some, if not most, or quite often, meet all the requirements for instrument aeronautical experience under §61.129” 
 
“The interpretation (Theriault 2011) did not establish an additive requirement for the number of hours of instrument training required to meet the aeronautical experience requirements of 61.129.”
 
“We are merely clarifying the requirements that the applicant for the commercial pilot certificate provide evidence that they have met the requirements of 61.129.”
 Oord-AOPA 2018 
“To allow for training time to count towards both 61.65(e) and 61.129(c)(3)(i) in cases where it meets the requirements of both, as stated in the letter to Ms. Kristine Hartzell dated December 12, 2010, that time must be logged consistent with 51.51 and documented in a manner that demonstrates the time counts towards the commercial pilot certificate and (instrument) ratings.”  
One example that has been debated is using the 250 nm instrument rating cross country to qualify for both the instrument rating requirement of 61.65(d)(2)(ii)(A) and one of the 2-hour commercial dual cross-country requirements of 61.129(a)(3). 
 
 

1. Solo vs Duties of PIC time requirement for the Commercial certificate. 61.129(a)(4) permits use of “performing duties of PIC” (PDPIC) with an instructor on board in lieu of solo time. This likely arose out of pilots training in high performance or multi-engine aircraft where they may be able to legally solo these aircraft but would be non-insurable on a solo endorsement. This requirement is to be ALL solo OR ALL observed PIC. They cannot be a combination of both. (Legal interpretation Grannis 2016). 

 

1. How to Log PDPIC time. If using PDPIC to meet 61.129(a)(4) requirements, it must be logged appropriately. (Legal Interpretation Kuhn 2014) The flight time should be logged as 
   1. “PIC” 
   2. NO DUAL received
   3. CFI must sign the entry to prove it was not a solo 
   4. noted in remarks “Performing duties of PIC” or PDPIC. 

 

1. NOTE on part 141 operations: Part 141 training MUST follow the TCO training course outline approved by the FAA. Therefore, there is no ability to meet both instrument and commercial training requirements with a particular flight under 141. The requirements for instrument and commercial ratings are detailed in part 141 appendix C and D.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Flight Instructors, do you want to help your student pass the check ride, maybe with a little less stress and anxiety going into it?  Of course you do! So stop making the examiner the bad guy!  Last Saturday, I overheard a CFI tell his student "If you tell the examiner that, he'll bust you!".  I don't know the reason for that comment but I do know that it will raise the students anxiety going into the checkride.  Choose your words carefully.  The student may have answered a question incorrectly.  So maybe saying "That's not quite right.  Let's do a little more ground to shore things up." might get a same results without increasing the stress and anxiety of things to come.

It's been said before but worth repeating.

Pilot logs:  Put your name in the book, total each column on each page, double check the math, make sure you meet the requirements for your particular certificate or rating, high lite or use a sticky note to make them easy to find and consider using a check list with the requirements and the date they where met.

Aircraft logs:  Make sure you've looked over the logs more than once and can easily find stuff.  Know how to determine the current status of all AD's (is there an AD list).  ​Make a cheatsheet listing all the required maintenance items and the date/time they were completed.  

What do you get when a few DPEs get together?  Usually a bitch session about how bad check rides are going.  That's exactly what happened a few days ago.  Four of us hanging around the airport waiting for the weather to clear up to either go fly ourselves or finish up a checkride.

We started comparing notes on recent rides.  All of us were seeing very similar issues on orals, weak cross country planing and lack of system knowledge.  That hit home for me as I just issued a Notice of Disapproval to an initial CFI and Private pilot applicants. Both for lack of knowledge in those two areas.  Those two applicants had something else in common, the same recommending CFI.  That's where the frustration sets in for me.  The lack of knowledge of a CFI will mostly likely be passed down to their students.  How did it get this far?  There are any number of reasons but somehow it has to be caught and corrected before an incident or accident occurs.  

Some of the weakness we found common and unnerving.  Pilots and CFIs not knowing how to lean a mixture (some have admitted to me that they have never leaned a mixture), Not knowing how to recognize a blocked static port and what to do.  Not knowing how to identify or handle a failed alternator.  Not knowing how to calculate ground speed without a GPS (I use to ask this question inflight up to a couple years ago.  Now I ask it on the ground because pilots are taking 20 minutes to get an answer and most of the time it's not correct.)

None of us DPEs like to issue a Notice of Disapproval.  Matter of fact, I hate it.  It sucks telling pilots, who have worked so hard to get this far, that they are not meeting the requirements of the ACS.  Usually when a DPE pulls the plug on a ride, they have given the applicant more than a fair chance to get it right.  It usually boils down to a larger issue of safety. We feel bad that the applicant didn't pass but it's not as bad as finding out the applicant was involved in an incident or accident of some kind.  The DPE goes home feeling as bad as the applicant and is left wondering if it was something the DPE said or did to cause the failure.  It sucks.  We want to see you pass and are rooting for you as much as anyone else.  It may not seem that way when you're on the other side of the table from them but they are.  

Fortunately the weather cleared up before we'd be forced to divert (the diversion has a name "Slicks Bar and Grill").  There's no better way to cheer up grumpy pilots than to go flying.  And that's what we did.

Scenario 1.  Pilot shows up in a Cessna C-162 (Skycatcher) for a private pilot checkride.  Pilot weighs 225 pounds, DPE is 180 pounds and the fuel tanks are toped off.  Pilot presents a weight & balance with the airplane within CG but clearly above Max Gross Weight.  When asked about it, the applicant says "My CFI is 200 pounds and the airplane flies fine"

Scenario 2.  Commercial pilot shows up for his multi engine checkride.  Shortly after take off the right engine oil temp goes above the red line and does not go down when in cruise.  Pilot said "it always does that and the mechanic says it's OK."

Scenario 3.  Initial CFI applicant flying a Vans RV-12.  During the run up the pilot notes the engine is running hotter than what he normally sees.  He hasn't flown this particular RV-12 before but its running hotter than the one he usually flies.  Pilot discontinues the run-up and returns to the ramp.

Scenario 4.  Commercial applicant flying a DA-40.  As part of her preflight, she sumps the fuel into a plastic jar and puts it into the baggage compartment (yes the jar is 1/2 filled with fuel).  When asked about that she responds with "that's school policy".
 
All four of these scenarios are real and have happened in the last 6 months.   

Last year I did about 60 initial CFI check rides and this year is on track to beat that!  Since January, I've done 19.  As you well know, an examiner is required to test the knowledge test codes missed on the knowledge test.  I'm seeing a lot of initial CFI applicants missing the same questions on the knowledge tests.  The 2 most popular Tasks are Navigation and Cross-Country Flight Planning (specifically AI.II.K5)  and Performance and Limitations (specifically AI.II.K2e).

These will get added to the check ride in a scenario.  For example, "we are to the point of planning our students first ever cross country.  Pick some place you want to go and teach me how to prepare the cross country" or "Teach me how to prepare a weight and balance for our flight with you, me and the 35 lbs. of crap we have in the baggage compartment".  Notice how I leave everything up to you.  Im the student.  If I haven't assigned the Task before the check ride, I'll give you 15-20 to prepare something.  

So here's a few suggestions to help get through this successfully.  1. Be really familiar with the subject matter missed on your knowledge tests.  2. Prepare and use lesson plans developed as part of your CFI training.  I found the best applicants prepare their own lesson plans but it is ok to use commercially produced ones (just go in and modify them for your own use).  3. Use the Private, Commercial and/or CFI ACS to insure you cover the elements needed.  

Here are some common errors Im noticing:  

Cross country planning: 1. Using Magnetic Course in place of True Course.  2. Not correcting to a common measurement (example the airplane POH is in MPH and the distance obtained off of the sectional was in Nautical Miles or when determining ground speed and cross wind correction using an TAS in MPH while the winds aloft is in Knots). 3. Not applying Deviation.  4. Not applying Notes from the performance charts (example reduction of cruise speed for missing wheel pants.

Weight & Balance:  1.  Not being able to find a current weight and balance in the POH.  2. Using a sample aircraft weight and balance and presenting it as "the real" weight and balance.  3.  Being able to define terms.  4.  Using a "cheat sheet" but the information on that "cheat sheet" is incorrect. 5. Being able to describe the "why and how" operating outside the CG limits is unsafe.