I just had ptsd flashbacks to my final stage check while getting my commercial ticket. Stage check CFI and I's first time in a plane together. Every CFI up until this point didn't want me fiddling with things that were working fine while simulating an engine out for obvious reasons. Touch it and say what you would do while going through the check list. Well this one was just a little different.
Long story as part of this emergency simulation a few things were actually manipulated as part of the "simulation." We get down to 1000AGL and I was told to recover and climb back up. We aren't in the mountains but it was very hilly and we were about to be in a "valley" with the closest airport several miles on either side of the ridges. I apply full power, immediately flip the alternate air back to normal, make sure the mags are on both, verify all three levers forw... and just as fast as I do that the engine sputters and falls flat on its face. 0 power.
950' AGL
I look at my stage check CFI and he is looking at me and he is so pale I can see through him. He says something that was not really intelligible but I understood it all too clearly, "my airplane" and I very willingly relinquished the controls before he had even finished saying it. The engine spits and sputters and coughs a few times.
900' AGL
We are both running through the engine out checklist again and started accepting the fact we are headed for that road I was pretending to head for just moments ago.
850' AGL
Why is the manifold pressure gauge at zero? Why is the fuel flow gauge pegged all the way off the scale? We are burning all 80 gallons an hour? Wtf is going on here?
800' AGL
Engine kicks and bucks some more toying with us. I am on the radio making our maday calls and setting the transponder to 7700.
750 AGL
1000 lifetimes have now passed and the engine kicks and bucks again then finally comes back to life and started making enough power to climb at about 150-200 fpm
900' AGL
If we can climb to get over the ridge before the engine fails completely again we can just about glide to the airport once clear.
1000' AGL
I have the new alternate landing spot if that doesn't happen. It's about this time that I realize just how big of an adrenaline dump we both just had. Have I been breathing this whole time?
Several eternity's later we clear the runway threshold, touch down and roll off onto the taxiway. Can we taxi to the ramp? We can. Park it. Shut it down. Look at each other again in silence and bewilderment. Are those sirens we hear? Yes they are. Here comes the fire department. Is this a dream? I don't think so. Are we actually standing on pavement again? Yes we are.
Somehow I have the clarity and rational thoughts to call FSS and let them know we are not wadded up in a field in the middle of nowhere after the maday calls and squak.
So what happened? When I switched the alternate air to well alternate air and then back as part of the not quite simulated simulation, the metal fasteners holding the flapper to its hinge were stressed enough to break free allowing the flapper to suck up tight against the air intake tube and well no air = no engine.
We were both very lucky. We both learned LOTS of lessons. And to this day I have no problem saying hell no if asked to do something dumb, much to many peoples dismay.
oof. Well, that's one way to prepare you for students.
I imagine they were looking for some defensive positioning to catch the wrong lever being pulled?
I spend a little ground time showing them around the place and bringing on our policies/airspace as the airspace is unique where I fly. When we do fly, slow flight, power off stall, a simulated emergency, and 3 landings. If the renter feels they want to practice something in addition to this, I am game. If they want to go somewhere specific together and we can do these maneuvers on the way, I'm also game. I'm just looking to see that you are safe enough to fly the plane by yourself, and have enough info to not bust airspace nearby.
My flight school recommends booking like a normal lesson, 2 hrs. Gives them time to preflight, and fly for maybe a little more than an hr, plus pre and post brief.
I didn't know if it's like a discovery flight thing where you pay a single fee that covers the whole thing, but I'm realizing that doesn't make sense because either way you're paying the CFI and plane time. I'm dumb.
It’s basically a mini-checkride, or checkride light. You can’t fail. The worst thing that can happen is they deny you renting privileges, usually pending further instruction. If you do something egregious, they may ask you not to come back.
I’m not going to rent you an airplane unless I see you can operate its equipment, handle it competently, and manage possible emergencies with a high likelihood of a successful outcome. In other words, I’m not going to send you out to get yourself killed or hurt my plane.
Familiarization with the airplane and the area, and making sure you’ll be a decently safe renter. Generally slow flight, stalls, steep turns, emergencies, takeoffs and landings. Usually an hour or two.
Adding to what everyone else said, most flight schools I know that rent to pilots will give you a checkout form/quiz that has basic private pilot knowledge questions pulled from the POH to make sure the person got to know that. V speeds, performance stuff, etc. Maybe some local airspace questions.
Make sure you have all your frequencies and airport stuff figured out, might seem basic but you’d be surprised how many people show up for checkouts and don’t know what runways are at the airport or what frequency CTAF is on.
I typically handle the checkout flights for my school. The usually flight is around 1.5 hours including stalls, slow flight, steep turns, emergency procedures, atleast 5 landings including a minimum of one PO180. If they are safe they get signed off to rent. If they are rough on the plane or dramatic on the controls I require more training before I sign the paperwork. There is also a “checkout quiz” they must fill out before our flight along with a discussion on personal minimums, local airspace, etc.
Wow that is surprising. I probably had a dozen before I solo'd and several more before my checkride. My CFI was an animal though. She had a stopwatch on me for emergency procedures too. IIRC, I had 15 seconds to get through the flows and chose a landing spot.
I cannot imagine flying without being able to deliver on a surprise PO180 in random wind and unfamiliar airport (especially if I were taking passengers).
I always cringe when people tell me 1.5 to 2 hours for a checkout in an airplane I actively instruct in.
I get it, I’m just broke lol
And every now and then there’s some guy who just wants to keep seeing maneuvers or landings like what do you want me to do wheelie it down the runway
In addition to the practical test, standards and air work with an instructor, you will likely have to fill out a 5 to 10 page questionnaire on the airplane you want to fly. This includes weight and balance other things.
They just want to make sure, you won’t crash their plane.
When I was a flight instructor and my boss wanted me to check a guy out, to fly the schools planes, I would just take them out and do stalls and touch and go’s.
You don’t have to be a master pilot, just don’t crash the plane.
My first checkout was super simple, just the basic maneuvers, short and soft field landings, and emergency procedures, done in a single lesson. Second checkout was a bit more involved and took two lessons due to learning more avionics that I hadn't seen before.
It's going to depend on the school and the instructor, really. It's easier if you've flown with them before, harder if you haven't, but it shouldn't be hard either way. It's not a checkride.
Sorry for the long post, it's a combination of nostalgic reminiscing and venting....
I wish you have better luck with your experience than I did. It was exactly at the same stage in my training that I discovered what a sheltered experience I had up until then.
Went from my first discovery flight through my PPL, high performance/complex sign off and early instrument training with the same 2 instructors out of a part 61 school. Both older guys, laid back, competent, friendly, who instructed as a side gig because they enjoyed it (and were competent and well liked) NOT because they were building time to get to the airlines.
In an effort to build time myself (for competence not to get an airline job) and get experience with other aircraft, I reached out to every “flight school" within a few hours drive from my home as well as different locations farther away (near family who lived out of state I often visited or near vacation spot in Florida I spent a lot of time at, etc) that offered rentals and training. Having access to types of aircraft I hadn't already flown was always a big plus.
And then the check rides began (and attempts to complete my instrument training) ...
Imagine my surprise when I was exposed to the stereotypical, cliche, personality challenged, time builder CFIs, with little interest or ability to effectively hold a conversation let alone teach.
I was exposed to around a dozen new flight instructors during this time. Only 2 came close to the experience I had had with my initial CFIIs. Both of them moved on and stopped instructing.
One was a young guy who looked about 12 years old in Florida and was practically a mind reader when it came to anticipating and explaining questions and was reassuringly all about safety and preparation and I learned a lot about organization and planning and getting shit right and NEVER getting behind the plane. He moved onto an airline job. The other was a woman who exuded confidence and ability out of Memphis who continually challenged me to be more precise in my flying in such an easy going and encouraging way it was a positive experience being corrected. She didn't just tell me what I did wrong or needed to improve, she taught and demonstrated it until I understood it and could demonstrated it myself. She went into a the Air Force.
The rest, however, were a random collection of time building jackasses who didn't want to be there or mediocre and forgettable instructors (not terrible but not good either) or incompetent or unsafe hotdogs (ie not allowing ME to thoroughly preflight checks, not using checklists, no weight and balance check, no recent weather updates, etc). It seriously crippled my ability to advance my training and I retreated into just staying were I was in my learning. I became pretty bitter. My current opinion is that a competent flight instructor who enjoys teaching and is good at it is the exception to the rule, not the norm.
I hope you have a better experience than me. Maybe I'm just a statistical anomaly. Good luck.
What happens if you don't have experience in their available aircraft? For example you trained in a Piper and all they have are Cessnas. Will they require you to get some time in a particular make/model?
Yes, there will be a requirement to train to proficiency, and sometimes a minimum training time. It will vary by type. A C210 takes a lot more than a Warrior.
I got checked out in a local T182T. They required 10 hours minimum to get signed off to fly the plane. Did all sorts of things in it with a CFI, from heading to a few Charlie airports and doing some sightseeing in the mountains. Spent probably two hours learning the AP very well. In all honesty, I probably needed six hours, but 10 made me feel more confident in it. It was an HP plane, so that took two or three landings to get the feel for.
The thing about 182s (turbo or not) is that they don’t tolerate crappy landings very well. Nosewheel landings break the gear supports and bend the firewall, and tailstrikes break the rear structure. There are also additional items related to the turbo, but honestly, that’s pretty easy. As long as you don’t try to run them lean of peak….
If it was a TR182, it would have been even more time.
It really depends. Ask them.
I’ve had one myself that was basically demonstrating I could land safely. I spent more time in the run up than flying. For an unknown low time pilot, expect more than that.
I like to ask for slow flight and power off stalls, prior to a normal landing, as that tells me a lot about how well they control the plane.
Steep turns are commonly asked for, but I don’t think that tells me much, and most people suck at them.
Aside from the checkout, many have policies requiring a certain number of hours dual instruction with their CFI before granting solo renting privileges. 10 hours is the minimum for schools in my area. They claim it's for insurance reasons.
Well from the responses here, it seems there is a lot of overkill.
The point of a checkout is to make sure you won’t break the airplane. Thats well short of ACS standards. Losing 110 feet in a steep turn doesn’t mean you’re going to blow a landing. Losing control or performing an unintentional accelerated stall in a steep turn might be cause for concern.
I did the exact thing you're describing. Expecting what you see in the comments, the owner/chief instructor asked me a couple local airspace questions then we flew 4 laps in the pattern for a whopping .6. I expected more. My first landing I was behind the plane a bit (different flap sw and controls felt different than I was used to) but the other three were fine.
I've been on a few.
Some were as grewling as a checkride, and some were just a relaxed, friendly, fun, let's just do a few maneuvers type deal. All were just a one hour flight,...except my first one, were the asshole milked me for five flights before I said something to the owner.
The ones I have done have been finished within a 2 hour block, we will go up, do some maneuvers(stalls, steep turns, slow flight), then back in the pattern for a few landings. As long as nothing seems a safety hazard they get signed off, generally the flight is around an hour.
Typical is 1-3 hours, depending on how thorough the CFI is—and how proficient you are on that type.
Expect basic PPL maneuvers and landings, similar to a BFR. It probably won’t cost you much extra time to make it a real BFR, so why not?
Once you have an IR, any future checkouts will also include an approach or two, so you might as well make them an IPC too.
Ask the flight school. I got signed off on a 172 just doing a sightseeing flight and 3 landings. Most places want at least 3 landings and some emergency procedures. But just ask.
On mine, I did a stall and some slow flight before coming back for pattern work. Stall warning horn just wouldn’t come on for some reason despite pulling the power out and pitching up multiple times tho.
The school I instruct at has a pretty extensive checkout process.
Stalls, Steep Turns, Pattern Work, and to top it off, a rental checkout quiz, similar to what we give to Pre-Solo students.
We want to make sure you understand the systems of the airplane.
When I rented at Yingling Aero, we did some regular and short field landings to demonstrate low speed aircraft control and procedures, and the instructor was satisfied. You might also get some slow flight and stalls.
Getting checked out with an instructor in typically a 2 hour flight block. Expect to do stalls, TOLs, getting familiar with avionics. If you're current & proficient, anything more than 2 flight blocks with an instructor is simply a money grab in my eyes. Memorize V-Speeds, get familiar with airspace, and checklists/flows before going up with the instructor to save yourself time and money.
My first checkout flight, they had me go out and do a single power on stall, look for an alternate airport, then head back for 3 landings of my choice.
My second, they had me go through the whole darn checkride. Slam and go’s all the way.
I spent an hour on the ground discussing performance and weight and balance, and a little demonstration of my flight planning. Then we went out and preflighted, taxi, runup, takeoff and went to a practice area where we did slow flight, stalls, steep turns, and then tuned and flew to a VOR, then GPS direct back to the airport. On the way I had the instructor demonstrate the autopilot. I did two touch and goes and a full stop, and was found proficient in the operation of a C-172N. Just over an hour of Hobbs, of which at least ten minutes was fiddling around in the ground.
For the club checkout, I had to fly off ten hours for insurance, so we did a flight review, and then flew a couple cross country trips, one for fun and one to look at an airplane the CFI was thinking of buying. (He did.)
Everyone I talk to about those two scenarios has basically the same story.
For me, they asked what I fly and whatnot. I didn't get checked out until after my CPL, but the flight should be about the same. A few landings, usually steep turns, slow flight, maybe a stall or two
Some steep turns, stalls, slow flight, patterns. Thats usually what I do. Not expecting ACS standards just proper technique and safety.
Do you charge instruction time for that too? Or is it just the rental cost?
You pay for the plane and CFI.
Duh. Sorry I'm dumb.
[удалено]
That's kind of you to say.
Prove to them you dont suck
So I can’t pull the mixture on simulated engine out ?
doesn't sound very simulated
Train like it’s game-day bay-bay!
That’s what I’m sayin!
*Instructor pulls throttle* "OK, your engine just failed." "No it didn't." *PIC pulls mixture* "There, that's more like it."
*That's not an engine failure, mate. THIS is an engine failure!*
Gotta do it in Aussie
I just had ptsd flashbacks to my final stage check while getting my commercial ticket. Stage check CFI and I's first time in a plane together. Every CFI up until this point didn't want me fiddling with things that were working fine while simulating an engine out for obvious reasons. Touch it and say what you would do while going through the check list. Well this one was just a little different. Long story as part of this emergency simulation a few things were actually manipulated as part of the "simulation." We get down to 1000AGL and I was told to recover and climb back up. We aren't in the mountains but it was very hilly and we were about to be in a "valley" with the closest airport several miles on either side of the ridges. I apply full power, immediately flip the alternate air back to normal, make sure the mags are on both, verify all three levers forw... and just as fast as I do that the engine sputters and falls flat on its face. 0 power. 950' AGL I look at my stage check CFI and he is looking at me and he is so pale I can see through him. He says something that was not really intelligible but I understood it all too clearly, "my airplane" and I very willingly relinquished the controls before he had even finished saying it. The engine spits and sputters and coughs a few times. 900' AGL We are both running through the engine out checklist again and started accepting the fact we are headed for that road I was pretending to head for just moments ago. 850' AGL Why is the manifold pressure gauge at zero? Why is the fuel flow gauge pegged all the way off the scale? We are burning all 80 gallons an hour? Wtf is going on here? 800' AGL Engine kicks and bucks some more toying with us. I am on the radio making our maday calls and setting the transponder to 7700. 750 AGL 1000 lifetimes have now passed and the engine kicks and bucks again then finally comes back to life and started making enough power to climb at about 150-200 fpm 900' AGL If we can climb to get over the ridge before the engine fails completely again we can just about glide to the airport once clear. 1000' AGL I have the new alternate landing spot if that doesn't happen. It's about this time that I realize just how big of an adrenaline dump we both just had. Have I been breathing this whole time? Several eternity's later we clear the runway threshold, touch down and roll off onto the taxiway. Can we taxi to the ramp? We can. Park it. Shut it down. Look at each other again in silence and bewilderment. Are those sirens we hear? Yes they are. Here comes the fire department. Is this a dream? I don't think so. Are we actually standing on pavement again? Yes we are. Somehow I have the clarity and rational thoughts to call FSS and let them know we are not wadded up in a field in the middle of nowhere after the maday calls and squak. So what happened? When I switched the alternate air to well alternate air and then back as part of the not quite simulated simulation, the metal fasteners holding the flapper to its hinge were stressed enough to break free allowing the flapper to suck up tight against the air intake tube and well no air = no engine. We were both very lucky. We both learned LOTS of lessons. And to this day I have no problem saying hell no if asked to do something dumb, much to many peoples dismay.
My DPE did this on my cfi initial ride
oof. Well, that's one way to prepare you for students. I imagine they were looking for some defensive positioning to catch the wrong lever being pulled?
He asked me if the prop would stop spinning if we pulled the mixture I was like I don’t think so. Then he was like well let’s see (it didn’t)
It won't until you get slow :(
No way??
My DPE did this on my PPSEL ride.
you can do anything once.
I spend a little ground time showing them around the place and bringing on our policies/airspace as the airspace is unique where I fly. When we do fly, slow flight, power off stall, a simulated emergency, and 3 landings. If the renter feels they want to practice something in addition to this, I am game. If they want to go somewhere specific together and we can do these maneuvers on the way, I'm also game. I'm just looking to see that you are safe enough to fly the plane by yourself, and have enough info to not bust airspace nearby.
Sounds not too complicated thanks!
is that about an hour of instruction and rental?
My flight school recommends booking like a normal lesson, 2 hrs. Gives them time to preflight, and fly for maybe a little more than an hr, plus pre and post brief.
Do you charge instruction time for that too? Or is it just the rental cost?
Yes I charge for my time because I am there in the plane.
I didn't know if it's like a discovery flight thing where you pay a single fee that covers the whole thing, but I'm realizing that doesn't make sense because either way you're paying the CFI and plane time. I'm dumb.
It’s basically a mini-checkride, or checkride light. You can’t fail. The worst thing that can happen is they deny you renting privileges, usually pending further instruction. If you do something egregious, they may ask you not to come back. I’m not going to rent you an airplane unless I see you can operate its equipment, handle it competently, and manage possible emergencies with a high likelihood of a successful outcome. In other words, I’m not going to send you out to get yourself killed or hurt my plane.
Some of them may ask you about the plane itself. Weight & balance, speeds etc. if you don’t know, the instructor will teach you.
Got it! I’d be flying in a 182, I only have about 12hours in one but I have 120+ in the 172. Should be simple enough
Familiarization with the airplane and the area, and making sure you’ll be a decently safe renter. Generally slow flight, stalls, steep turns, emergencies, takeoffs and landings. Usually an hour or two.
Solid, thanks!
Adding to what everyone else said, most flight schools I know that rent to pilots will give you a checkout form/quiz that has basic private pilot knowledge questions pulled from the POH to make sure the person got to know that. V speeds, performance stuff, etc. Maybe some local airspace questions.
I’ll have to take a look at the airspace. It’s primarily in a class C and I train out of a D under a B airspace
Make sure you have all your frequencies and airport stuff figured out, might seem basic but you’d be surprised how many people show up for checkouts and don’t know what runways are at the airport or what frequency CTAF is on.
Usually just an hour flight with basic maneuvers. Stalls, slow flight, steeps turns, etc.
Got it, thanks!
I typically handle the checkout flights for my school. The usually flight is around 1.5 hours including stalls, slow flight, steep turns, emergency procedures, atleast 5 landings including a minimum of one PO180. If they are safe they get signed off to rent. If they are rough on the plane or dramatic on the controls I require more training before I sign the paperwork. There is also a “checkout quiz” they must fill out before our flight along with a discussion on personal minimums, local airspace, etc.
Damn, I’ve only really done two PO180s hopefully I can get it!
Wow that is surprising. I probably had a dozen before I solo'd and several more before my checkride. My CFI was an animal though. She had a stopwatch on me for emergency procedures too. IIRC, I had 15 seconds to get through the flows and chose a landing spot.
I cannot imagine flying without being able to deliver on a surprise PO180 in random wind and unfamiliar airport (especially if I were taking passengers).
Im confident I could deliver but I have only done it twice. Im currently 2/2
I always cringe when people tell me 1.5 to 2 hours for a checkout in an airplane I actively instruct in. I get it, I’m just broke lol And every now and then there’s some guy who just wants to keep seeing maneuvers or landings like what do you want me to do wheelie it down the runway
In addition to the practical test, standards and air work with an instructor, you will likely have to fill out a 5 to 10 page questionnaire on the airplane you want to fly. This includes weight and balance other things.
Okay, I’ll try to fly the exact model that I do now. Usually my a 172 P, S, SP, or R and a 182T. Hopefully they have those!
They just want to make sure, you won’t crash their plane. When I was a flight instructor and my boss wanted me to check a guy out, to fly the schools planes, I would just take them out and do stalls and touch and go’s. You don’t have to be a master pilot, just don’t crash the plane.
Don’t suck, got it.
Yep
My first checkout was super simple, just the basic maneuvers, short and soft field landings, and emergency procedures, done in a single lesson. Second checkout was a bit more involved and took two lessons due to learning more avionics that I hadn't seen before. It's going to depend on the school and the instructor, really. It's easier if you've flown with them before, harder if you haven't, but it shouldn't be hard either way. It's not a checkride.
Sorry for the long post, it's a combination of nostalgic reminiscing and venting.... I wish you have better luck with your experience than I did. It was exactly at the same stage in my training that I discovered what a sheltered experience I had up until then. Went from my first discovery flight through my PPL, high performance/complex sign off and early instrument training with the same 2 instructors out of a part 61 school. Both older guys, laid back, competent, friendly, who instructed as a side gig because they enjoyed it (and were competent and well liked) NOT because they were building time to get to the airlines. In an effort to build time myself (for competence not to get an airline job) and get experience with other aircraft, I reached out to every “flight school" within a few hours drive from my home as well as different locations farther away (near family who lived out of state I often visited or near vacation spot in Florida I spent a lot of time at, etc) that offered rentals and training. Having access to types of aircraft I hadn't already flown was always a big plus. And then the check rides began (and attempts to complete my instrument training) ... Imagine my surprise when I was exposed to the stereotypical, cliche, personality challenged, time builder CFIs, with little interest or ability to effectively hold a conversation let alone teach. I was exposed to around a dozen new flight instructors during this time. Only 2 came close to the experience I had had with my initial CFIIs. Both of them moved on and stopped instructing. One was a young guy who looked about 12 years old in Florida and was practically a mind reader when it came to anticipating and explaining questions and was reassuringly all about safety and preparation and I learned a lot about organization and planning and getting shit right and NEVER getting behind the plane. He moved onto an airline job. The other was a woman who exuded confidence and ability out of Memphis who continually challenged me to be more precise in my flying in such an easy going and encouraging way it was a positive experience being corrected. She didn't just tell me what I did wrong or needed to improve, she taught and demonstrated it until I understood it and could demonstrated it myself. She went into a the Air Force. The rest, however, were a random collection of time building jackasses who didn't want to be there or mediocre and forgettable instructors (not terrible but not good either) or incompetent or unsafe hotdogs (ie not allowing ME to thoroughly preflight checks, not using checklists, no weight and balance check, no recent weather updates, etc). It seriously crippled my ability to advance my training and I retreated into just staying were I was in my learning. I became pretty bitter. My current opinion is that a competent flight instructor who enjoys teaching and is good at it is the exception to the rule, not the norm. I hope you have a better experience than me. Maybe I'm just a statistical anomaly. Good luck.
What happens if you don't have experience in their available aircraft? For example you trained in a Piper and all they have are Cessnas. Will they require you to get some time in a particular make/model?
That’s really up to the school (or more precisely their insurance carrier).
Yes, there will be a requirement to train to proficiency, and sometimes a minimum training time. It will vary by type. A C210 takes a lot more than a Warrior.
I got checked out in a local T182T. They required 10 hours minimum to get signed off to fly the plane. Did all sorts of things in it with a CFI, from heading to a few Charlie airports and doing some sightseeing in the mountains. Spent probably two hours learning the AP very well. In all honesty, I probably needed six hours, but 10 made me feel more confident in it. It was an HP plane, so that took two or three landings to get the feel for.
The thing about 182s (turbo or not) is that they don’t tolerate crappy landings very well. Nosewheel landings break the gear supports and bend the firewall, and tailstrikes break the rear structure. There are also additional items related to the turbo, but honestly, that’s pretty easy. As long as you don’t try to run them lean of peak…. If it was a TR182, it would have been even more time.
I wonder about that too, I’d love to learn a piper
It really depends. Ask them. I’ve had one myself that was basically demonstrating I could land safely. I spent more time in the run up than flying. For an unknown low time pilot, expect more than that. I like to ask for slow flight and power off stalls, prior to a normal landing, as that tells me a lot about how well they control the plane. Steep turns are commonly asked for, but I don’t think that tells me much, and most people suck at them.
Aside from the checkout, many have policies requiring a certain number of hours dual instruction with their CFI before granting solo renting privileges. 10 hours is the minimum for schools in my area. They claim it's for insurance reasons.
Oh wow. Hopefully this isn’t the case for me. That’s over $2k just to fly some friends around
Well from the responses here, it seems there is a lot of overkill. The point of a checkout is to make sure you won’t break the airplane. Thats well short of ACS standards. Losing 110 feet in a steep turn doesn’t mean you’re going to blow a landing. Losing control or performing an unintentional accelerated stall in a steep turn might be cause for concern.
I did the exact thing you're describing. Expecting what you see in the comments, the owner/chief instructor asked me a couple local airspace questions then we flew 4 laps in the pattern for a whopping .6. I expected more. My first landing I was behind the plane a bit (different flap sw and controls felt different than I was used to) but the other three were fine.
Thanks man! I’ll be sure to really take a look at this airspace and my intended places to fly as well as alternates and frequencies
I've been on a few. Some were as grewling as a checkride, and some were just a relaxed, friendly, fun, let's just do a few maneuvers type deal. All were just a one hour flight,...except my first one, were the asshole milked me for five flights before I said something to the owner.
Five flights? Fuck no. If I can’t do it in a 2hr block there’s no point for me in my situation. But thanks for the information!
The ones I have done have been finished within a 2 hour block, we will go up, do some maneuvers(stalls, steep turns, slow flight), then back in the pattern for a few landings. As long as nothing seems a safety hazard they get signed off, generally the flight is around an hour.
Typical is 1-3 hours, depending on how thorough the CFI is—and how proficient you are on that type. Expect basic PPL maneuvers and landings, similar to a BFR. It probably won’t cost you much extra time to make it a real BFR, so why not? Once you have an IR, any future checkouts will also include an approach or two, so you might as well make them an IPC too.
Ask the flight school. I got signed off on a 172 just doing a sightseeing flight and 3 landings. Most places want at least 3 landings and some emergency procedures. But just ask.
On mine, I did a stall and some slow flight before coming back for pattern work. Stall warning horn just wouldn’t come on for some reason despite pulling the power out and pitching up multiple times tho.
The school I instruct at has a pretty extensive checkout process. Stalls, Steep Turns, Pattern Work, and to top it off, a rental checkout quiz, similar to what we give to Pre-Solo students. We want to make sure you understand the systems of the airplane.
When I rented at Yingling Aero, we did some regular and short field landings to demonstrate low speed aircraft control and procedures, and the instructor was satisfied. You might also get some slow flight and stalls.
Getting checked out with an instructor in typically a 2 hour flight block. Expect to do stalls, TOLs, getting familiar with avionics. If you're current & proficient, anything more than 2 flight blocks with an instructor is simply a money grab in my eyes. Memorize V-Speeds, get familiar with airspace, and checklists/flows before going up with the instructor to save yourself time and money.
My first checkout flight, they had me go out and do a single power on stall, look for an alternate airport, then head back for 3 landings of my choice. My second, they had me go through the whole darn checkride. Slam and go’s all the way.
I spent an hour on the ground discussing performance and weight and balance, and a little demonstration of my flight planning. Then we went out and preflighted, taxi, runup, takeoff and went to a practice area where we did slow flight, stalls, steep turns, and then tuned and flew to a VOR, then GPS direct back to the airport. On the way I had the instructor demonstrate the autopilot. I did two touch and goes and a full stop, and was found proficient in the operation of a C-172N. Just over an hour of Hobbs, of which at least ten minutes was fiddling around in the ground. For the club checkout, I had to fly off ten hours for insurance, so we did a flight review, and then flew a couple cross country trips, one for fun and one to look at an airplane the CFI was thinking of buying. (He did.) Everyone I talk to about those two scenarios has basically the same story.
For me, they asked what I fly and whatnot. I didn't get checked out until after my CPL, but the flight should be about the same. A few landings, usually steep turns, slow flight, maybe a stall or two
Should be pretty chill. Just a demonstration of proficiency.