Apr 09 2009
Multi Engine Rated Pilot
As of 9:45am Wednesday, April 8th I am officially a multi-engine rated pilot.
It took a long eight months to complete but it feels great to finally have it over and done with. The course was simply the most fun I’ve had in an airplane thus far in my training: to have that power resting in your hands is truly a rewarding experience.
The checkride involved an immediate engine failure on takeoff roll, another engine failure right after takeoff with a quick return to the airport and then basic maneuvers and instrument approaches. Even though it all felt straight forward I managed to get myself yelled at during the GPS approach. The way I’ve been taught to fly did not sit well with my examiner’s real-world perspective and as a result I was on the receiving end of a massive schooling in proper course reversal through a hold procedures. Past that an inop ADF made my life a hell of a lot easier allowing me to use the GPS to track to the IAF for the ILS 18L back into KMDH, flying outbound with the HSI was also a piece of cake thanks to it’s no-brain display.
During the ILS to final landing he had me change things up a bit: I normally drop the landing gear a dot above glideslope and keep power at my 120kt setting, letting me down on the GS and keeping speed around 120. He had me set out 15 degrees of flaps and drop gear, necessitating more power. His reasoning was to keep forward pressure on the nose, a point he reiterated with the addition of full flaps about a mile before the runway. At this point I’ve got the nose pointed at the ground and the engines are roaring with power as I attempt to maintain blue line (106) plus ten up to near the threshold. I’m guessing the point he was making was that you might be less likely to encounter an unrecoverable condition should an engine fail around this time. You’re nose is down but angle of attack is still higher, so I’m going to require his clarification on this to figure it out.
That being said, I’m now looking forward to a summer of fun personal flying and then to the fall, when I start my CFI training.

