My CSEL ride

[sbe]

Oral was about an hour long. Started off with my logs then the aircraft logs, was it ok to fly, discussed airworthiness cert and ADs. Then we took quite a while discussing the order of business for the day in terms of the flight itself.

Then more into the oral. He examined my flight planning to Cincinnati/Lunken Field, and I explained my choice of altitude, and pulled out my DUATS printout and discussed the weather along the route, and that I would not go on this cross country given the horrible surface winds at our destination, turbulence, forecast low level windshear and thunderstorms over the second half of the route. He looked at my w&b for takeoff and then arrival at destination, and my takeoff/landing data. We pulled out the sectionals and he asked me about darn near all the symbols, airspace, special use airspace, victor airways, navaids, military training routes, and cloud clearance/visibility reqs for certain classes of airspace.

I was ready for that, hadn't stumped me on a thing yet. Went into systems. Briefly discussed electrical, discussed landing gear, discussed CS prop at length. (set the RPM and go into a dive, what happens? Why does manifold pressure rise when you cycle the prop? Why does the oil pressure drop? etc) Discussed v-speeds (pretty much all of them), inadvertent spins and recovery, how does CG affect stalls and spins? For this aircraft, what are the maximum G loads for utility and normal categories? (I *somehow* remembered reading this in the POH, and could answer correctly at 4.4 and 3.8, respectively!) Discussed procedure for a hot start, emergency gear extension, and what do you do if you have a prop overspeed?

On to some aerodynamics then finished off with aeromedical factors - hypoxia, carbon monoxide poisoning, over the counter meds and scuba diving.

I was ready for this oral and he wasn't able to stump me on anything. I suprised myself with the "Gs" question.

Out to the plane, he watched my preflight, we added some oil and got airborne. Short field t/o out of MKC (Kansas City Downtown airport), and on our x/c. At my first checkpoint, which was the town of Buckner, MO, we broke off and flew across the river to the practice area.

At 5500', we did steep turns first. Best set of steep turns I'd ever done! Then into slow flight, dirty. Best slow flight I'd ever done - I have a tendency to let my altitude creep down, and nope! Right into a power off stall, then clean up, then a power on. All was well so we set up for Chandelles. Did one to the left, then one to the right. I was having a good day it appeared, levelled off at the top right at 5kt above clean config stall speed. Then back down to 6000' and lazy 8s. One of my hairy maneuvers, but not today. Whew! Each loop ended RIGHT at 6000', airspeed and heading were within PTS tolerances as well.

Steep spiral, which was tricky in the howling west wind at altitude but came out okay, down to pivotal altitude of 2500' (again, read: howling wind!) for 8s on pylons. Picked a north/south pair and entered from the west, my pylon started to fall behind on the first one but I fixed it, the second went well.
On to Clay County Regional (KGPH) for the landings. Set up on right downwind for 36 and did a short field landing, not the softest in the world but maybe 50' past the numbers and centerline held well (we had about a 10kt crosswind at this point). Then taxi back for a soft field takeoff, and back around for a soft field landing. Again, not one of my best but definitely acceptable.

One more maneuver, the power off 180. I did 2 of these on Monday with my CFI and just nailed them, so I was justifiably freaked out that I'd screw it up. It appears I had reason, as my downwind was too wide, I tried to dogleg it in on my base but I was too low. I had the runway made, but he had specified the touchdown zone markers. I asked to go around. He said good call, no problem w/that but realize I can only let you have one more shot. ARGH! One of my best flights ever and it's come down to this! I could feel my legs just shaking.

I came around again, kept downwind in much tighter to the runway, dropped the gear, turned it in immediately, one notch of flaps, on base realize I'm nice and high, two notches of flaps, turn final, I've definitely made my landing spot, the trick now is to not land long...full flaps, prop forward, GUMPS one last time, and a teeeeeeny slip. The landing left a LOT to be desired but I hit about 100' past the touchdown zone markers that he'd called out as my landing spot. WHEW!!

We taxiied back for a normal takeoff and headed back to Kansas City Downtown, a normal landing on Rwy 1 and I was a newly minted CSEL pilot! He told me all my maneuvers and landings were "well above average, you and Scott (my CFI) will need to go tidy up your 180 accuracy landings for your CFI."

Um, yeah.

Sarah

[ready2fly]

de ja vu.

[Dazzler]

Congratulations once again Sarah.

Surprised you had to do both Steep Turns and Steep Spirals. The PTS says you only have to do one of those.

Same with Chandelles and Lazy Eights.

Bit mean of the examiner to have you do all 4 performance maneuvers. At least you nailed them though.

[Josh]

The PA for 8s on was 2500 feet? Seems kinda high unless you were going around 200 knots.

The 180 power off was what I was worried about most on my ride, and we got that out of the first thing, since there was no traffic right then. I was relieved.

Great job.

180 power offs from the right are easier when the runway has a right pattern

[ricecakecm]

What DE did you go with?

Chris

[sbe]

Josh:

I shoulda clarified. The 8s on pylons pivotal altitude I gave was MSL. The elevation out in the practice area is about 800'. So the 8s on were about 1700' AGL. Again, the winds aloft were absolutely screaming, so our groundspeed downwind was very high.

I agree with you on the RP power off 180s - we were landing on 36 which at KGPH has a right pattern. I have always found those easier. Obviously not the first one that day.

ricecakecm - I went with Ron Albertson. I did my private and IR rides with him as well.

[aloft]

Great report Sarah, thanks.

Just realized it, but I've met in-person everybody in this thread thus far but Dazzler and R2F (though I'm pretty sure Stan and I were twins separated at birth ). Good peeps, every one of ya!

[ricecakecm]

Never did a ride with Ron. Did my Private with Dave Card, Instrument and Commercial with Loretta Jones, CFI with Mark Wamboldt (from the FSDO), MEL, CFII, and MEI with Dave Card.

Too bad Loretta isn't around anymore. She was great.

[ready2fly]

[ QUOTE ]
Just realized it, but I've met in-person everybody in this thread thus far but Dazzler and R2F (though I'm pretty sure Stan and I were twins separated at birth ).

[/ QUOTE ]

[Dazzler]

[ QUOTE ]
Just realized it, but I've met in-person everybody in this thread thus far but Dazzler and R2F

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, next time you're in Minnesota...

[Josh]

whew. I was beginning to think you were flying something really fast. If you had to use that high of an AGL for PA, that must have been fun

I actually like doing 8s on, easier than the other airwork I thought.