On 06/27/08 11:47, Tom wrote:
Hi guys. I've been doing my training, took the written yesterday and
have my checkride in 2 weeks.

Couple of questions.

1) The tolerance for MDAs on the test is +100/-0. The natural response
to this is of course to target the altitude MDA+50ft, giving 50ft
buffer in either direction.

My question is this: how do you manage this on the checkride? If the
real MDA is 460, so your MDA+50 is 510, do you say "1000 for 460...900
for 460...800 for 460" etc? You can't really say 510 can you, as the D/
E might think you have the wrong MDA. But if I say 460 I tend to go
down to 460 - and then it's all too easy to accidentally go down to
459 and that's a bust.

Thoughts on how to manage this? For real life it's easy - just raise
the MDA 50ft and know you have a 50ft buffer but no more. But for the
checkride?

For the check ride? Do exactly the same thing. I told the examiner
that although the MDA/DA is XXX, I'm going to descend to XXX +50
for a buffer, and that if the conditions warranted it, I would
creep down closer to XXX (although if I remember correctly, I used
20, not 50).



2) Any other checkride gotchas or tips people have for me would be
super-useful.

By the way I'm talking about a real checkride, not a simulated one.

Thanks
Tom

Best of luck on the check ride. I hope you post how it goes for
you.


--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane, USUA Ultralight Pilot
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA