CMEL & CSEL - same day checkrides

[Chewie von Nubbins]

I did the CMEL checkride as the initial as I had around 80 of the 250 total hours in a Seneca and Seminole, and had already obtained the PMEL in the first 10 hours of total ME time.

DPE told me that this was for a commercial license, and he was going to put me through the ringer and really make me earn it. He did. Definitely a completely different playing field from both the PPL SE and PPL ME checkrides. He dug and dug and dug, and wanted to find out everything that I knew (it felt like to me).

Oral -

Got there at 8:30am and got started into the paperwork around 8:45am. By 9:00am the DPE first started off asking about common carriage, private carriage, commercial operator, etc. Got into some very interesting scenarios regarding the medicals. Knew from the PPL, but he threw a few curve balls in there. Make sure to spend at least an hour going over all things concerning the medical.

Then went into aerodynamics, performance, and systems. Spent about 2 hours in that. He got me on a couple of things, but I survived.

Since the initial was to be done in the Multi, he wanted me to explain every single aspect of VMC, and all things related to flying a multi engine plane. We spent well over an hour on all of this. He made me do a weight and balance (over gross...of course, and adjusting usable fuel for the flight) and 6 or 7 of the 20 performance charts. Word to the wise. Unlike the Cessna performance charts, the first step in the Piper charts is to ALWAYS use the very first chart to get your pressure altitude....before moving on to any of the additional 25 charts in the POH. I used field elevation (like the Cessna charts) and he let me work every single one of them off of that before telling me my error. However, after re-doing them with Pressure altitude, there really wasn't a noticeable difference in the end figure for those charts.

Summary for the oral - Before I made the career change in April, I was an Engineer. Trained in the Navy as an Engineer, and worked for in civvie land as an Engineer. My problem in these orals is that I have a natural tendency to go several layers deep in explaining concepts. There were several times that I would spend well over 10 minutes explaining a concept when he was looking for a 1 liner answer. I learned a ton about using "mechanical linkage" as a result of this checkride. He actually told me several times to quit building him a clock and to tell him the concepts at the most basic level as possible. We wrapped up the oral and got the plane at 1pm. Oral lasted from around 9am - 1pm. Would have only lasted about 2 hours total, if I wouldn't have dug so many holes. Keep the answers as short and sweet as possible. If he wants more, he'll dig. Don't just think that because this is a commercial ride that TONS are expected of you with respect to your knowledge. Unfortunately, I was starting 2 layers deep and explaining the concepts and theories to the best of my ability....when all he really wanted on a few occasions was just a simple 1 line answer. But, you still know to know that ASA Oral guide inside and out.

First checkride - PA-44 - Seminole

Preflight; he asked about squat switch location, pitot tube location, and what I am doing during the preflight. Got in the plane fired up and got AWOS and taxi request. On takeoff, I was anticipating an engine cut. He covered up my quadrant and made some sudden moves and put his paper over my quadrant where I couldn't see it. I retarded the throttles and he got bitter. He said that he didn't do anything and I had gotten too much help from the instructor. I laughed it off and we got airborne.

Hit first checkpoint and he immediately diverted. Pointed the plane in the direction of the diversion airport and he wanted the distance/time/groundspeed within 2 minutes (me to give him the numbers). I gave him everything...but I gave him indicated airspeed and he got bitter again. After thinking about it for a minute or so, I flipped the E6B over and calculated what the winds were doing to us. IAS was 125, but groundspeed came out to 108. He accepted my sloppiness and told me to throw my #### in the back.

Started with steep turns, then stalls (to the full break and in 10 degree turns - both power on and power-off). I wasn't happy with going that far, but that is what he wanted...so he got it. Vmc demo, slow flight clean...not easy in a multi. Then on to the landings. Got bitter again at me because I wanted to only use 25 degrees of flaps on the short field landing. Winds were 15G20 (or so) and I didn't want all 40 degrees of flaps, which inturn got him bitter. He accused me of knowing more than the Engineers that built the performance charts. And said that I was trying to be cute and creative. So, I put in all 40 degrees and hit my spot.

Back to home airport on one engine. Had a direct crosswind. Winds were 210 at 14G18 at the time for runway 16. Came down and into the flare and started getting flown sideways. Not easy to do with that crosswind and kicking rudder into good engine. First time to actually have to compensate for so much of a crosswind and reducing good engine power to land the plane. Went around and tried it again. Nailed it. Parked the plane and he passed me.

CSEL - C172SP

Came back in and checked the Seminole in and got a coke and rested for 10 minutes or so. Got the book for the 172 and we got going. Got out to practice area and started slow flight clean, slow flight dirty, power off stall, power on stall, steep turns, then on to the most dreaded of them all...Lazy 8's. Been having the most trouble with the maneuver, and I lined up over the road for ref point. He was bitter at me a little for using my instruments for reference. He messed my DG all up completely covered my panel with his paper. Started lazy 8's and he wanted me to do another. Uh oh. Asked if anything was wrong and he said....NO, these are some of the best lazy 8's I've seen in a long time. I just want to feel what they are supposed to feel like, keep going.....and he was definitely serious. I was cracking up inside about that. Then did Chandelles and the off for landings. Nailed the power-off 180 using a slip and the PAPI for a little help. Best power-off 180 I've done to date...guess I got lucky. Then the other types of landings. Climbed back up and did steep spiral, and then on to 8's on pylons. He got bitter at me once again. Said the 8's on pylons were to the PTS but sucked badly. Remember, the wind was a show. He demonstrated them and I fed his ego a bit.

Then back to home airport and he said we had an electrical fire. I went through the simulated response and he got bitter again about me not using a checklist. So, used the checklist to verify all actions I had taken. Landed at home airport with a soft field to a specified spot (1000 footers) and cheated the flare a bit so that I hit it. Nailed it. Parked and he said that the CSEL was a very good ride and congratulated me.

Summary - I did a whole hell of a lot of things right on this checkride, but I really emphasized the things that I screwed up on. At no point did I ever feel like I was busting the checkride. I simply am trying to throw out my mistakes that I made on here so that it will hopefully help someone out in the future. He paid me many of many of compliments on the skills that I had learned to get to the commercial level. So take that for what it is worth. And, pass on your experiences that might also help others in the future. This forum has helped me immensely in my quest along the road....and the road is still going and will be for quite a while.

Hope this writeup helps someone along the road. I went through all of the checkrides for the past 2 years on here for the CMEL and CSEL and they surely helped me. Good luck on your checkrides, and godspeed.

[mojo6911]

FYI: The Cessna 172 charts use pressure altitude as well.

Congrats.

[TheAviator737]

Congrats, at least that day is over and now your a commercial pilot!