So, I failed my Private Pilot checkride yesterday. I was not happy at all.
Everything started out just fine. I got out to the airport 2 hours early, had my cross-country planning finished, weight/balance, and aircraft performance calculations prepared for the flight. The weather was pretty nice on the ground. The winds were light and variable at 4 knots and the temperature was 74 degrees. I got out and preflighted the airplane while waiting for my checkride pilot to return from a spin flight in the Decathlon. He arrived a little late from the other flight, but we still had time to finish it before I had to turn the plane back in.
I went out to the aircraft to get ATIS so I wouldn't waste time doing that when the engine was running and racking up rental costs. With me in the left seat and the stage pilot on the right I felt a little nervous but somewhat confident that I was gonna do good.
Before start checklist went great. I started up the plane, called Grand Forks Ground letting them know of my departure intentions, "Grand Forks Ground, Sioux 59, Charlie Ramp, ready to taxi with Whiskey, northeast depature, request traffic advisories," I said. "Sioux 59, sqwuak 0137, taxi and hold short of 17 left," the old man replied.
I got to the runway before takeoff, everything's going great. My takeoff was perfect, calling out "Vr" and "airspeed's alive", etc. The climb was very turbulant. The thermals kept pushing me upward, throwing the little 2,000 pound Piper Warrior back and forth. Climbing up southbound through 2,500, then turning 30 degrees on course toward 3,500, and then backtracking to the Northeast, I lost the capability of an accurate ground speed check with my E6-B flight computer. That was fine - all I had to do was get onto my OBS course and track the heading until I reached 2 other checkpoints to get my accurate ground speed. That went fine. When the simulated cross-country went well, I began heading north towards Practice Area Alpha. I made radio transmissions into the practice area frequency of 122.85 MHz. "Practice area Alpha, Sioux 59 is entering the southern edge of the practice area at 5,500, any traffic in the area please advise."
The stage pilot put the hood on to simulate flight into IMC. That went very well, considering the turbulent conditions. I was holding my headings well, maintaining airspeed, and perfectly executed the 180 degree 1 minute turn to simulate getting out of IFR conditions. I then did stalls - first the power-off in the landing configuration. Took it to a full stall. That went very well. Then I was told to do a power-on immenent stall in the take-off configuration. The turbulent air made it difficult to take the aircraft down to Vr (55 knots) and the stall warning horn went off at 62 or so. Stage pilot told me to hit full throttle. What do I do? I pull out throttle! After admitting my mistake, he lets me try it again and I execute it correctly the second time around.
Next was steep turns. Those went VERY well. Given the turbulent conditions, I was holding airspeed and alititude pretty well. Then it was on to ground reference manuevers. He had me to S-Turns across a road. It's not difficult at all to find a long straight road out in northwestern Minnesota. Everything out here is agriculture, so all parcels of land are divied up to 1/4, 1/2, and 1 mile sections. I had extreme difficulty maintaining airspeed and altitude at 2,000 feet MSL (about 1,200 feet above the ground in that area of Minnesota).
After about 20 S-Turns across the road, I end up in the far north western edge of the practice area at the North Dakota and Minnesota border. At this point I am confused of my location because we were JUST over Warren Minnesota - quite a few miles east of the Red River. Either way, I quickly composed myself, got current weather/ATIS at GFK and contacted approach on 132.3. "Grand Forks Approach, Sioux 59 inbound with X-Ray." They responded by telling me to report East Ponds (a reporting point for UND aircraft flying into Grand Forks airport) and to contact Tower on 120.55. Well, what do I do? I only adjust the small radio tuning knob to ".55" but leave out the "120" and keep it on "122". So, I am transmitting on the wrong frequency of "122.55" like a dumbass when I should be on "120.55". No one acknowledged my radio transmission, so I am confused as hell already. I finally switch back to approach where it was on the standby frequency on the Garmin 430. I stupidly call them up as if they're tower and they respond to me advising to contact tower on 120.55. What do I do?! I switch over to Com 2 and contact Grand Forks GROUND on 124.575! They finally tell me to go over to Tower at 120.55 and at this point I am in an even bigger nervous wreck. I am sweating, shaking, and questioning my stage pilot's decision to pass me. I finally contacted Tower on the correct frequency, but I did it at about 1/4 mile past the first reporting point of East Ponds. When I flipped over to Tower, they were already contacting me and I began my first tranmission to them with my landing intentions. This transmission ran over their instructions on how they wanted me to enter the traffice pattern.
Well... at this point my mind completely shut down. I could nolonger comprehend any instructions and carry out my responsibility as pilot-in-command. The tower had advised me to turn SOUTHBOUND outside of the traffic pattern and enter downwind for runway 17 Left. The stage pilot asked me where I was intending on going. Completely a nervous wreck, I responded that I'd follow "that road running parellel to the runway." Well, if I had done that I would've been heading on a collision course with another aircraft coming the opposite direction on Downwind! At this point the stage pilot took over the controls and let me know that I failed.
I felt like a complete dumbass. I gave up then and told him to just take the controls himself and land the aircraft. He asked me if I wanted to complete the rest of the checkride, but I told him no. I was too distraught and shook up over my lack of ability to perform. We got onto the ground and I taxied the aircraft back to Charlie ramp - that was easy enough.
Now I have to have a review flight with my instructor and go up in the pattern and do two takeoffs and landings. I have to pre-brief with him and review traffic pattern entries. I KNOW these procedures. I was just too distraught and shookin up over my nervousness and difficulty I had over performing the ground reference manuevers. I know that had I been by myself in the airplane, or with my flight instructor, I would've entered the pattern just fine!
So, after the review flight with my instructor, I will go up with the stage pilot again and finish the checkride. Monday at 7:30pm I have the review flight, then sometime on Tuesday I should be able to finish my checkride.
If all goes well, on Tuesday I will be an official Private Pilot.
