Stage 103 with Greg Smith... Advice?

[mokulele]

I survived the oral on Friday... my flight is on Thursday if the weather is good.

Any advice?

[StrangerDejaVu]

Well, just like any other stage, know your stuff!

I always freak out more about the oral than flights anyway. You can study for the oral, but as for the flight, you've either had enough practice or you haven't! Not much you can do before the main event other than go up and fly it again.

On another note, I don't think Greg is as bad as everyone makes him out to be. I've never flown with him, but I did my CFI oral with him and it was very fair. He's not the most talkative stage pilot, but he's a decent guy.

[ZUKO]

You have done the hardest part. Just relax and show them what you got.

[UAL747400]

Well, they don't call him the terminator for nothing. You made it through the part he unsats the most people on though. The flight should go fine for you, unless you haven't had enough practice of course like mentione above. I wouldn't sweat it that much though.

[Dugie8]

holy crap, if GSMI is known as the "terminator" I fear for the future of aviation.

[Booker]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

holy crap, if GSMI is known as the "terminator" I fear for the future of aviation.

Wasn't he called that back in the day? I could've sworn somebody was, and God knows it wasn't me.

[stuckingfk]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

holy crap, if GSMI is known as the "terminator" I fear for the future of aviation.

Why is that? I'd like to hear some stories!!!

But yeah, he has the lowest first time pass rate out of any stage pilot (well below the 2nd place finisher).

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by Booker

Wasn't he called that back in the day? I could've sworn somebody was, and God knows it wasn't me.

It wasn't me either, Givem to Rob, he'll pass anyone! Now, HALL, that was a pink slip guaranteed! Miss one altitude call out and BUSTED!

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

It wasn't me either, Givem to Rob, he'll pass anyone! Now, HALL, that was a pink slip guaranteed! Miss one altitude call out and BUSTED!

This is why I hate the stage check process - you could have gone through passing all stage checks from 102 through 415 with the right stage pilots ...or ...you could have failed every one of them with the wrong stage pilots.

Stage checks are too subjective and need to be standardized with much less stage pilot discretion. This could help eliminate questionable fairness. What do you guys think? The difficult part would be finding a way to standardize it more since we're dealing with humans here (either egos or on the opposite end ...leniency... get in the way).

[Booker]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

It wasn't me either, Givem to Rob, he'll pass anyone! Now, HALL, that was a pink slip guaranteed! Miss one altitude call out and BUSTED!

Yep. Personally, I was just doing my part to make sure UND kept its examining authority.

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

This is why I hate the stage check process - you could have gone through passing all stage checks from 102 through 415 with the right stage pilots ...or ...you could have failed every one of them with the wrong stage pilots.

Stage checks are too subjective and need to be standardized with much less stage pilot discretion. This could help eliminate questionable fairness. What do you guys think? The difficult part would be finding a way to standardize it more since we're dealing with humans here (either egos or on the opposite end ...leniency... get in the way).

Weeelll if you really wanted to get down to the gnitty gritty, and go strictly by the PTS, any time a maneuver or procedure was done and the outcome was (how it is exactly worded escapes me) in doubt, check ride over. I'm sure we have all done a checkride where we botched up one maneuver or another and MOST check pilots overlook it and uderstand "nerves".

You really can't have it both ways, standard and "fair", I mean, is it really fair to bust a checkride after 2.0 of flawless flying only to botch up a short field landing on the first attempt by missing your point by X amount of feet?

99.999% of the stage check pilots out there are fair and do their best to look at the big picture, but some things simply cannot be overlooked. Those final stage checks, like the 103/104(??) are the whole ball of wax, you need to be on your A+ game and know your fecal matter.

On the rare occaision you get "screwed" or your student gets "screwed" by a stage pilot, it is time to raise a stink, but you better be damn sure you and your student are in the right. The rampage I went on about one of my students getting busted on her 222 mid stage (forget the number) is probably still echoing in some corner of flight ops.

Stage pilots have a stage check manual, that your instructor(s) should have access to, if things are going above and beyond what is outlined in that manual on specific stage checks, course leads need to know about it (ie turns around a point on the instrument checkride).

Keep in mind, the folks doing the checking have a lot more in the experience bag (not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but relatively speaking) it is real easy to blame the check pilot for you the student not being prepared, especially with the vast amount of information you are expected to know, and know how to "use".

I mean, hell, I did my MEI with PALM no prob and I ain't the brightest buld on in the row of street lamps.

[taildragger173]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

Keep in mind, the folks doing the checking have a lot more in the experience bag (not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but relatively speaking) it is real easy to blame the check pilot for you the student not being prepared, especially with the vast amount of information you are expected to know, and know how to "use".

New hires are doing stage checks now.

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by taildragger173

New hires are doing stage checks now.

end of course checks?

[UAL747400]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

end of course checks?

I'm pretty sure all final checks in the instructor courses(at least initial CFI) are done by leads. They have to be don't they?

In my experiance, ALL final checkrides were done by people that were around for awhile.

[StrangerDejaVu]

It's still experienced pilots on all the final checkrides.

[BuickCFI]

...or ...you could have failed every one of them with the wrong stage pilots.

that was me. i had one stage check where i showed up in a Polo and Khakis and i was told to go home because i wasn't dressed up for the check, WTF? (222, 53 i believe) i raised a stink about that one and so did my instructor. I had a few more where i started with a really nice person, i messed up something stupid on the oral because i didn't study enough(see, not blaming the stage pilot) then my stage pilot would leave and i would get stuck with some prick to finish it up

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by BuickCFI

that was me. i had one stage check where i showed up in a Polo and Khakis and i was told to go home because i wasn't dressed up for the check, WTF? (222, 53 i believe) i raised a stink about that one and so did my instructor. I had a few more where i started with a really nice person, i messed up something stupid on the oral because i didn't study enough(see, not blaming the stage pilot) then my stage pilot would leave and i would get stuck with some prick to finish it up

Polo and Khakis? Come on, that shouldn't be the reason to send you home... it's not like you're dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

I always wear a suit to stage checks, even though some people think it's overkill (unless it's your CFI oral...in which case a suit should be worn, IMO). The saying goes...you can never be over-dressed in a suit.

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by UAL747400

I'm pretty sure all final checks in the instructor courses(at least initial CFI) are done by leads. They have to be don't they?

In my experiance, ALL final checkrides were done by people that were around for awhile.

All the stage checks that I've done with leads have been a lot less stressful - they're much more fair and I think generally they like to avoid useless trivial questions... unlike the guy on my Stage 53 in 222... (but that guy got canned )

[BuickCFI]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

Polo and Khakis? Come on, that shouldn't be the reason to send you home... it's not like you're dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

I always wear a suit to stage checks, even though some people think it's overkill (unless it's your CFI oral...in which case a suit should be worn, IMO). The saying goes...you can never be over-dressed in a suit.

yup, it was 80F outside at the end of May and i was going to do the flight in a WARR. i introduced myself, and she asked if that is what i was wearing (duh, i am at the airport and not going to change) and she told me we couldn't do it because i wasn't dressed professionally enough.

i wore a tie to my 103, and my CFI stages, but never a suit because i don't own one

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by BuickCFI

yup, it was 80F outside at the end of May and i was going to do the flight in a WARR. i introduced myself, and she asked if that is what i was wearing (duh, i am at the airport and not going to change) and she told me we couldn't do it because i wasn't dressed professionally enough.

i wore a tie to my 103, and my CFI stages, but never a suit because i don't own one

That's a bunch of BS. I made sure to tell everyone I did stages for to dress comfortably. This isn't an interview, it is YOUR stage check. Some came dressed nice, some came in normal clothes. If you don't mind me asking, what was the instructors 4 letter?

[UAL747400]

Hell, for my stage 70 I wore shorts and a ringers t-shirt to the oral and something equally casual to the flight. The nicest I've dressed EVER was jeans and a polo shirt. I'll wear nicer clothes and a tie for my CFI orals, but it's gona be shorts and a t-shirt/polo for the flight. That's just too damn bad if they think it's not "proffessional" enough. I've got till the last day to add for the second six week session to get done with CFI, so I've got plenty of time to raise a stink.

[UAL747400]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

If you don't mind me asking, what was the instructors 4 letter?

Most likely DICK, BICH, or ASSS or somethinig like that.

[BuickCFI]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

That's a bunch of BS. I made sure to tell everyone I did stages for to dress comfortably. This isn't an interview, it is YOUR stage check. Some came dressed nice, some came in normal clothes. If you don't mind me asking, what was the instructors 4 letter?

damn near 4 years ago so i have no idea, i doubt she is still around

[eglplt]

Originally Posted by BuickCFI

damn near 4 years ago so i have no idea, i doubt she is still around

If it was that long ago, my money would be on one of the "wonder" children that went to Horizon!!

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by eglplt

If it was that long ago, my money would be on one of the "wonder" children that went to Horizon!!

I was thinking more along the lines of someone that hailed from Hoople ND.