I just read through the PTS.
My tummy went all butterflies.
I'm sooooo not ready.
I'm at 29.8 hours, 6.7 of them solo. I had been thinking I'd shoot to do my checkride in mid-January, but I just don't predict feeling ready then.
The thing is, I feel good about at the performance stuff. Well, S-turns I haven't really gotten to practice in any wind, but everything else, sure, I could probably do it all right now. And I've got as much time as I need to refine the soft-field takeoffs and landings and other aspects that need polish but that are fundamentally in place.
It's the knowledge stuff that is so intimidating. I can't remember the various details about the different classes of airspaces. I get class and category confused for aircraft when relating to pilot certification or aircraft certification (who came up with that dumb naming system?). I don't know how the electrical system works, or what I'd do if all of a sudden my avionics when kaput; the checklists only cover so much. (Ok, that last part is more practical than knowledge, but if never used it's still just knowledge, right?!?) And on and on...
And now I'm going to try to sleep, being all hopped up (in a good way) about tomorrow's x-c and all hopped up (in a bad way) about the checkride that's not even close to being scheduled!
K,
ReplyDeleteRelax :)
It all takes time and you will never learn everything before your check ride. As far as knowing how the electrical works...if its a checkride you are worried about anything that isn't a memory item such as glide speeds and emergency procedures such as engine failures, you can use the POH.
A maintenance friend never has an answer when I ask him in depth questions about a certain system. He says they are trained to forget the details because they want people to go seek out the right information not go off their head. Same reason why teachers have lesson plans :)
Since you have the opportunity to go look at a 172 at no charge for an instructor get your husband to take the cowl off and run over the main components of systems. It makes it easier to picture how the system works when you can attach a picture of it in your head.
For instance in the PC12 they refer to the "power line" which comes directly off the generator to supply high drain devices such as flaps and gear....when I went under the cowl they weren't kidding calling it a power line. Its a big mother electrical cable to help carry all the current.
Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair. Gives ya something to do but won't get you anywhere :)
Cheers and have fun on the x-country!
FD
I really like FD's rocking chair comment! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, FD, for the encouragement and thoughtful comment! Husband and I were planning to have a date tonight; perhaps it'll be a romantic evening where the plane's pants come off! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd I certainly agree with Husband -- the rocking chair analogy is great.
LOL !!
ReplyDeleteYour guy's idea of romance is the same as mine then ! Nothing more romantic then going to the hangar and slipping the covers off the old bird !
Have a great night guys.
Yeah, it looks daunting but you will be surprised how quickly it will come together.
ReplyDeleteThey say the national average is 70 hours for passing the checkride so by that standard you are still quite early to be stressing!
Its funny though, I was looking through the Commercial PTS at the weekend and thinking "no way will I ever be able to pass that". My instructor always says to look around at some of the pilots and say "if they can pass I certainly can". Ok, a little mean but it works!
Yeah, K, You remember I had moments where I was sure I'd never get through the IFR checkride, but it worked out just fine. Of course, I'm glad that's over with!
ReplyDeleteAirplane's pants down huh? Actually, we just went out there and only the top came off. :)
But K did manage to lose the ELT antennae in flight somehow. Now we gotta figure out the regs for flight without that (can go for 90 days with a "no elt" placard I think?).
Oh come on... I'm about to admit to the ELT thing in the post about today's flight... and don't go giving 388 a bad reputation for being easy, although she did let us grope her under the hood for a while...
ReplyDeletePaul -- Hmmm, interesting tip. I can think of a handful of folks around the airport who make good role models and some who definitely don't. If they can get a license...
ReplyDelete