Rental Checkride?

I was just checking the rental terms at an FBO in the city I plan to visit
over Christmas.

I've got most of my hours in the type I wanted to rent and the FBO said
they want 3 takes offs and landings, then a power on and power off stall.
They charge the time to do this as dual.

I can see 20 minutes of landings, then a climb to do the power on and off
stalls... depending on traffic, it seems like it would take .75 to 1.0 dual
hobbs time. Basically, I'd spend more money on the checkride than I
intended to spend on the actual flight.

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?

--
Dallas

On Dec 6, 10:23 am, Dallas wrote:
I was just checking the rental terms at an FBO in the city I plan to visit
over Christmas.

I've got most of my hours in the type I wanted to rent and the FBO said
they want 3 takes offs and landings, then a power on and power off stall.
They charge the time to do this as dual.

I can see 20 minutes of landings, then a climb to do the power on and off
stalls... depending on traffic, it seems like it would take .75 to 1.0 dual
hobbs time. Basically, I'd spend more money on the checkride than I
intended to spend on the actual flight.

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?

It's pretty normal. Sometimes they claim its an insurance requirement
but of the FBO policies I've seen I've not seen one that actually says
what a check out includes (other than landings).

-Robert

On 12/6/2007 1:23:39 PM, Dallas wrote:

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?

I would say it is normal. The one time I rented far from home I had to go
through a three hours checkride for a C172S rental, a model in which I had
about 500 hours at the time, at an FBO in Palm Springs, CA.

Look at it this way: It is always valuable to have a different instructor
evaluating your piloting skills. If you are fortunate you might actually
receive some previously unknown tips or lessons from the instructor during
your checkride.

--
Peter

Dallas wrote:
I was just checking the rental terms at an FBO in the city I plan to visit
over Christmas.

I've got most of my hours in the type I wanted to rent and the FBO said
they want 3 takes offs and landings, then a power on and power off stall.
They charge the time to do this as dual.

I can see 20 minutes of landings, then a climb to do the power on and off
stalls... depending on traffic, it seems like it would take .75 to 1.0 dual
hobbs time. Basically, I'd spend more money on the checkride than I
intended to spend on the actual flight.

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?

My check flights usually went like this;
I'd always start you off by asking you some weight and balance questions
based on the specific airplane being checked out.
By the time I had watched you preflight the airplane I pretty much knew
what to expect from you in the air.
By the time we reached the end of the runway I had either verified my
initial impression or based on your performance that far, made a mental
list of things I wanted to verify in the air.
By the time you rotated, climbed to altitude and leveled the airplane I
had a good idea of your general flying abilities.
At this point I would have you fly the airplane at minimum controllable
airspeed and note your skill and comfort level doing that.
Then I'd have you do a simple stall series power on and off going as
deep with the stall configurations as I deemed necessary as you
progressed while performing them.
Then we'd go into the pattern where we'd do a power approach and one
with no power available from the key position, preferably on a crosswind
runway.
If this all went well, you'd get the airplane.

Generally, this can be done in an hour if all goes well. This should be
about standard in the industry unless the pilot being checked out is
known to the operation and/or the check pilot. Expect this if coming in
cold asking for a check ride.

--
Dudley Henriques

Dallas wrote:
I was just checking the rental terms at an FBO in the city I plan to visit
over Christmas.

I've got most of my hours in the type I wanted to rent and the FBO said
they want 3 takes offs and landings, then a power on and power off stall.
They charge the time to do this as dual.

I can see 20 minutes of landings, then a climb to do the power on and off
stalls... depending on traffic, it seems like it would take .75 to 1.0 dual
hobbs time. Basically, I'd spend more money on the checkride than I
intended to spend on the actual flight.

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?


That's not uncommon at all. After all, they don't know you
from Adam so they want to make sure you are in fact a safe
and competent pilot before they rent you an airplane.

Once you are checked out you will be able to rent from them
anytime.

Dallas wrote:

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?


It's more normal than not, in my experience.

On past sightseeing trips in places I don't go to often, I've just
brought the CFI with us, skipping the formal checkride.

B A R R Y wrote in news:H5Y5j.30695$Pv2.21285
@newssvr23.news.prodigy.net:

Dallas wrote:

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?


It's more normal than not, in my experience.

On past sightseeing trips in places I don't go to often, I've just
brought the CFI with us, skipping the formal checkride.




Wise anyway. When I was a kid, one of the CFIs at the place I was working
gave one of his buds who had been flying a 727 for a living fly a rental
cherokee after only a couple of minutes checkout.
half an hour later, a 110 knot approach and touchdown rendered a brand new
cherokee environmentally friendly.


Bertie

"Dallas" wrote in message
. ..

I was just checking the rental terms at an FBO in the city I plan to visit
over Christmas.

I've got most of my hours in the type I wanted to rent and the FBO said
they want 3 takes offs and landings, then a power on and power off stall.
They charge the time to do this as dual.

I can see 20 minutes of landings, then a climb to do the power on and off
stalls... depending on traffic, it seems like it would take .75 to 1.0
dual
hobbs time. Basically, I'd spend more money on the checkride than I
intended to spend on the actual flight.

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?


Based on my experience, this is normal for a very reasonable FBO. Many
require as much as twice that.

B A R R Y wrote:
Dallas wrote:


Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?


It's more normal than not, in my experience.

On past sightseeing trips in places I don't go to often, I've just
brought the CFI with us, skipping the formal checkride.

That's what I did when I rented a plane in England. I flew and he kept
me honest.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

"Bertie the Bunyip" wrote in message
.. .
B A R R Y wrote in news:H5Y5j.30695$Pv2.21285
@newssvr23.news.prodigy.net:

Dallas wrote:

Is this a little stiff or is it the normal practice?


It's more normal than not, in my experience.

On past sightseeing trips in places I don't go to often, I've just
brought the CFI with us, skipping the formal checkride.




Wise anyway. When I was a kid, one of the CFIs at the place I was working
gave one of his buds who had been flying a 727 for a living fly a rental
cherokee after only a couple of minutes checkout.
half an hour later, a 110 knot approach and touchdown rendered a brand new
cherokee environmentally friendly.


Bertie

How bad did he screw it up?