- Weather checked (METARS and TAFS)
- NOTAMS
- AIPS
- Flight Plan filed
- Nav log and route map done
- Mass and Balance done
- Aircraft checked out (Full A check)
- Documents signed
I have a briefing
with the examiner at 0800 and he goes through the profile of the flight. He
seems really friendly which puts me at ease straight away. The weather isn't
looking too great; the cloud is low, though still above minimums and the wind
is strong (though not as strong as on my PT and it’s straight down the approach
as opposed to across it). I decide to go and get it over with, my route is down
to Bournemouth, which I've only been to at night time but I'm so glad, as it’s the
longest route there’s plenty of time to get set up during the cruise.
I'm allocated the call sign ‘Exam18’, I need to remember
this as it’s different than my usual ‘Oxford 54’ though I am told that ATC are
a lot more helpful when they hear the word exam. The examiner gives me 10
minutes to get in the plane, and do the before start checks. All that’s going
through my head is “this is it”. Once we start taxiing and I give my first "Exam18" call to tower I feel much better, I'm doing the same thing I've done
pretty much every day over the past 6 months. The departure out from Oxford
goes smoothly and ATC are helpful; I get my clearance into the A airway early
so that’s one less thing to worry about…then my airspeed and manifold pressure
start to drop.
Having simulated icing in the simulator many times I
acknowledged it early and did the de-icing checks. As I'm wearing the hood I
cannot look myself at the wings or stabilator so have to ask the examiner to
check for icing, usually this is done every 10 minutes during the cruise when
in IMC and low temperatures. However, the problem doesn't feel sorted so I ask
him more and more frequently, eventually he just tells me to check myself as
the icing is building up pretty fast, we were in moderate icing. Thankfully, I
keep on top of it and the cloud clears as we approach Southampton. The examiner
tells me not to do any more icing checks and I'm relieved. Bournemouth ATC is
also really helpful and starts radar vectoring me early so I start thinking
about the ILS. In my head, I'm thinking if I can do a good ILS then I’ll pass,
I'm a lot happier with the NDB approach back at Oxford.
(Thank you Lucas for the flight radar trace of my exam! Although it says East Midlands, it's definitely Bournemouth)
It’s windy around Bournemouth but feels mostly headwind and this
drags out the ILS to the low minimum altitude. I aced it, the localiser and
glideslope deviation bars barely moved and I was so proud of myself, the go-around and engine
failure drill felt like second nature. The examiner took control as he needed
to find a break in the clouds for general handling. Luckily we found one and
managed a few manoeuvres before diverting home to Oxford. I got the hold entry
I was expecting and was cleared to proceed outbound “whenever I was ready”.
The
asymmetric procedural NDB was fine, conscious of remaining within the 5 degree
margin before descending as my PT6 had taught me. However, the cloud base was
rapidly dropping and about a mile before minimums I had to request a low
altitude circuit of 800 feet (super low compared to the usual 1500 feet).
However, being an exam I was granted it and finally got around to land. I was
absolutely exhausted at this point and just wanted to get on the ground, hence
my landing wasn't my best or smoothest.
Once parked back on the apron the examiner turned to me and
said “Your landing was a bit rough” Oh no. “Yes, I'm so sorry….”
“Do you promise never to do that again?”
“Of course, sir!”
“Good, then you've passed!”
He was toying with me and started laughing. I was so
relieved. The whole thing had gone so well, I did get some pointers in the
debrief and he could tell I’d never experienced icing before but said I handled
it pretty well. He also said he was impressed with how I handled the strong
winds at Bournemouth (again, thank you PT6 for teaching me how to deal with the
wind!). Feeling triumphant I stayed around the school being congratulated, I
even got a hug off Alan, and waiting for the other guy to come in who’d just
done his IR as well. He had to finish his early due to the low cloud base
preventing him from doing the asymmetric circuit, I landed just in time. This
also means my instrument flying phase is over and I get a nice break over the
Christmas period before starting the MCC in the New Year. I went home that evening and surprised my parents as I was done ahead of schedule and so ecstatic that I'd passed it!
My Dutch course mates
had already finished theirs and do the MCC in Holland which is a shame, saying
bye to them was sad and AP365 now only had 3 members left.
