GTA

General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Back Room => : WesCombs November 17, 2009, 04:25:07 PM

: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: WesCombs November 17, 2009, 04:25:07 PM
For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a test conducted by the FAA that consists of about a 2-3 hour oral exam and a 1-2 hour flight..if I pass this, I'll officially be a "commercial pilot". This has been a long time in the making, guys!! So, I guess what I'm askin for is a team of you all to send up a prayer for me...if that happens, I'll be sure to get back on here tomorrow afternoon and let you know I passed :)
: RE: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: Big_Bill November 17, 2009, 04:28:19 PM


Prayer sent Wes,



The BEST of LUCK tomorrow !



Bill

: RE: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: onemountain November 17, 2009, 04:40:43 PM
Consider it done! Godspeed!
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: Gene_SC November 17, 2009, 09:27:23 PM
Prayers and best wishes Wes. Just remember you will not get much shootin in up there in the air..:)
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: tjk November 17, 2009, 10:59:34 PM
Best of Luck Wes. I'm sure you'll "ace" the exams!!!! tjk
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: shadow November 17, 2009, 11:12:46 PM
Sending a Prayer you way buddy, good luck. :) Ed
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: North Pack November 17, 2009, 11:31:29 PM
Best of luck Wes, - hope everything goes well. - Back in the early 70's I sat for my first Coast Guard exam in Boston, to become a licensed captain. Lotta work & studying, - good luck.
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: dk1677 November 18, 2009, 01:21:24 AM
Hope it went well!
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: geewhiz380 November 18, 2009, 02:38:20 AM
wes i will send u my prayers with faith and confidence that u will pass with american colors.jorge lopez nys.........
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: Bentong November 18, 2009, 03:26:43 AM
We got prayers and you got the stick..now go get the wind beneath your wings to the blue wide yonder!!
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: jake November 18, 2009, 04:43:19 AM
i hope you make it, you'll will be in my prayers
: Your prayers worked!!!!
: WesCombs November 18, 2009, 05:42:59 AM
Hey!! It was easy..almost too easy, I kinda feel ripped off! jk :) The oral lasted about an hour..which consisted of maybe 30 minutes of questions, 30 minutes of story telling, and then he said "ok..I'm confident you know this stuff. You always come prepared, let's go get this done."..as for the flight, all the maneuvers went fairly well..I almost let my altitude get away from me in the steep turn (http://www.glenndaleftc.com/flight_training/training_aids/Steep_Turns.php), but I corrected for it and told him what I did wrong..the only other detail was that my lazy eights (http://www.glenndaleftc.com/flight_training/training_aids/Lazy_Eights.php) were a little flat, but they were well within the practical test standards. I'm just picky..so I told him it probably would've been better if I had pulled up a bit more in the first turn.

Now..when it came time for landings, the left lens in my glasses FELL OUT right after I made the radio call to tell tower I was heading their way..no kidding. So, because I don't have a "Must wear corrective lenses" limitation on my medical, I did all of my landings and take offs without them. The traffic pattern was pretty much packed full so I had to do a series of go arounds, right 360s, and extended legs to get enough spacing for a power off 180 (http://avstop.com/ac/flighttrainghandbook/180degreepoweroffapproach.html)..when I finally had the opportunity to do it, I landed maybe 100 feet past my point..the FAA allows up to 200 feet, so that marked the passing of my commercial check ride.

Oh..and the airplane I used was a Cessna 172 RG (retractable gear). They're pretty much dogs but you're required to demonstrate the ability to fly a complex aircraft, so I had to take it. Up next is my multi engine..I have about 10 hours of training left in one before I can take that check ride. Should go by pretty quickly! If the weather holds up and my schedule continues to work out the way it has, I'm thinking I'll have my multi in no more than a month.

Thanks again guys!
: RE: Your prayers worked!!!!
: EdNunya November 18, 2009, 05:52:09 AM
Congrats!!!

Now to just stay awake/undistracted    


I used to hate annuals and check rides!!

73

Semper Fi
Ed
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: bodiej November 18, 2009, 06:05:56 AM
Congrats Wes!  Flight insructor here, tallahassee FL..  Where'd you get your ride done? You go to FSDO or a DE?   Like the bit about the glasses - had a contact pop out on me after a photo flight before landing.  Had to one-eye it without the depth perception.  Probably would've done better ripping the other one out!
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: WesCombs November 18, 2009, 06:09:44 AM
I'm an aviation major at Oklahoma State University..it's a pretty nice school. The main campus is the one I go to..we fly out of Stillwater Regional (KSWO) and the Tulsa branch is out of Richard Jones Riverside (KRVS). I have taken all of my check rides with the same DE..he told me today that when we go on our multi, we will likely be accompanied by the FAA because he's up for a review. That should be interesting!
: RE: Your prayers worked!!!!
: onemountain November 18, 2009, 06:20:12 AM
Awesome/Congratulations! All us prayer-senders get free rides now, right? Looks like I'm in line behind Big_Bill (http://../jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif)
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: bodiej November 18, 2009, 06:30:41 AM
yikes!  Well it'll give you some confidence for when you have to Fed-up for the instructor certificate (unless you're lucky enough that your DE can do initials).
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: WesCombs November 18, 2009, 06:37:35 AM
Eric, I'm a poor college student still! Otherwise I'd be all for takin you guys up for free..hey..with that said, I'm certainly open to congratulatory gifts! haha jk

Jason, because I live in Oklahoma (home of the FAA), it takes a true miracle for them to assign you a DE for your instructor rating. My buddy has been weather delayed 7 times now..they still won't give him a DE.
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: dk1677 November 18, 2009, 07:19:56 AM
Congrats Wes!
: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: onemountain November 18, 2009, 11:26:59 AM


WesCombs - 11/18/2009  12:37 PM  Eric, I'm a poor college student still! Otherwise I'd be all for takin you guys up for free..hey..with that said, I'm certainly open to congratulatory gifts! haha jk



Sorry, no congratulatory gifts- I'm a poor college student too lol

: Re: Taking my commercial check ride in the morning...
: shadow November 18, 2009, 10:15:25 PM
Congrat's buddy, had faith that you could pass it. :) Ed