PPL checkride question

Howdy ya'll,

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Thanks,
Alex

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Well, I had to -- but that was nine years ago now.

Knowing the FAA, you'll still be required to do that long after the last VOR
approach has been deactivated.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

(Koopas Ly) wrote

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

From the Private Pilot PTS....you really should have a copy.

B. TASK: NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND RADAR SERVICES
(ASEL and ASES)
REFERENCES: FAA-H-8083-3, AC 61-23/FAA-H-8083-25; Navigation
Equipment Operation Manuals, AIM.
Objective. To determine that the applicant:
1. Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to navigation systems
and radar services.
2. Demonstrates the ability to use an airborne electronic navigation
system.
3. Locates the airplane's position using the navigation system.
4. Intercepts and tracks a given course, radial or bearing, as
appropriate.
5. Recognizes and describes the indication of station passage, if
appropriate.
6. Recognizes signal loss and takes appropriate action.
7. Uses proper communication procedures when utilizing radar
services.
8. Maintains the appropriate altitude, ±200 feet (60 meters) and
headings ±15°.

Can it be that you do not yet have a copy of the Practical Test Standards?

You will be required to:

"Exhibit knowledge of the elements related to navigation systems (not just
VOR) and radar services.

Demonstrate the ability to use an airborne electronic navigation system

Locate the airplane's location using the navigation system

Intercept and track a given course, radial, or bearing, as appropriate

Recognize and describe the indication of station passage, if appropriate

Recognize signal loss and take appropriate action

Use proper communication procedure when utilizing radar services

Maintain the appropriate altitude plus-minus 200 feet and headings
plus-minus 15 degrees"

Lots more than simple tracking.

Bob Gardner

"Koopas Ly" wrote in message
om...
Howdy ya'll,

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Thanks,
Alex

Koopas Ly wrote:

Howdy ya'll,

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Thanks,
Alex
Well, I just passed my checkride two weeks ago. I did have to intercept
a VOR radial and fly inbound while under the hood.
Arnold Sten

I am not sure how to respond without getting flamed, but here goes... It
concerns me that many of the student pilot postings that I have read in this
newsgroup over the past year or so seemed to center around the idea of "what
is the minimum I must know or do to pass the test?" I hope I am very wrong
with my interpretation of Alex's question. If so, I sincerely apologize.

My answer would be this...regarding VOR radials/intercepts/tracking, etc.,
don't worry about what is in the PTS but learn the technique regardless.
Reason being there will come a time in your flying (I guarantee it if you
fly into SAT) that you will be told to fly direct to the VOR. If you don't
know how to determine what VOR radial you're on and how to track it ... good
luck.

I took my private pilot checkride 2 months ago. Not only did my instructor
tell me to do some VOR work but so did the tower on our return to SAT. You
might say I was "tested" twice: once for the PTS and once to help make the
airways safe for both me and my fellow pilots that were in the air at the
time.

Harry
PP-ASEL

"Koopas Ly" wrote in message
om...
Howdy ya'll,

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Thanks,
Alex

Koopas,
are you having problems with VOR's ?
Do you have a general understanding on how to do it and why you would
intercept,track or ID your position with VOR's ?

The FAA examiner can ask you to do about anything that you learned
during your training. My examiner (who died while doing a check ride
last year) simply told me to fly to the LAS VOR.

Koopas Ly wrote:

Howdy ya'll,

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Thanks,
Alex

My examiner (who died while doing a check ride
last year)

You can't leave us hanging like that! What happened? Crash, heart attack,
what?

Kobra

Harry,

I can understand your concern. My question stems from being asked to
tune and ID a VOR, intercept a radial, and fly inbound, during my
checkride almost five months ago.

With three CFI's during my training, and most likely due to the lack
of instruction continuity, the VOR radial interception procedure had
neither been demonstrated nor practiced in flight, ever, let alone
requested by ATC.

Due to the above, and as helpfully pointed out by other members, I
misinterpreted the PTS section on VOR knowledge as only pertaining to
flying to and from a VOR, not intercepting a radial. In addition,
through mostly wishful thinking, I presumed the procedure in question
was reserved for IFR training.

I should have also known better since a few questions on the written
test pertained to locating yourself with respect to a radial. I
digress.

Going back to the checkride, I can remember sweating bullets while
frantically recalling VOR basics, and just going from there (i.e.
winging it). Turn the OBS to the 180 deg. reciprocal of the radial
requested by the DE, and follow the needle until it centered. I did
get yelled at for chasing the CDI needle and supposedly making some
"big turns" to capture the correct radial. The ironic thing is that
this was the first task the DE asked of me during the flight portion.
What a way to start a checkride by flunking within 5 minutes of
takeoff. In fact, I was tempted to tell the DE: "Sir, I don't believe
that's a PTS item!"

Moral of the lesson: Don't trust your CFI to teach you everything you
need to know. You are responsible for your training. And read the
PTS.


Alex

"Koopas Ly" wrote in message
om...
Howdy ya'll,

Is it expected of a student pilot on his private pilot checkride to
intercept a VOR radial and fly towards the station?

Thanks,
Alex

I was given an XC scenario (KCXO to KSHV, which is surrounded by MOA's, but
that's another story) prior to the oral/checkride, and once in the aircraft
I was asked to set out on the first leg, which required flying a VOR route.
Once established, the examiner, apparently satisfied, declared the weather
below minimums at the destination and had me divert to an alternate. From
there we proceeded on with the rest of the PTS. You can expect it on the
checkride, but you will have done it already anyway.

Wendy