IFR checkride in two days ask me trick questions to stump me please
Posted by Ok_Yam_5591@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 123 comments
Posted by Ok_Yam_5591@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 123 comments
Mobe-E-Duck@reddit
You are planning a 1 hour XC in solid IMC. You are ready to roll, powered up, about to tap file on FF or however you do it. The TAF is predicting 2,500’ BRK all day and 4SM all day. You get a text from your buddy at the field, he’s a weather watcher, that the ceilings are dropping a bit. You check and the AWOS is now reporting 1.5SM. Do you need an alternate?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
it would be prudent to file one, but legally no since the 123 RULE is based on the forecasted weather at the time of your arrival to the airport, but being smart I would still plan to carry more fuel to alternate +45 min.
Mobe-E-Duck@reddit
How long does it take to get to the airport?
Perfect_Insurance_26@reddit
Why does it hurt when I pee?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
the recent trip to colombia
Loose_Philosopher560@reddit
Just read through the ACS and you will be fine.
MrPetter@reddit
When is the ILS critical area active? Aside from googling it right now, where can you find it in your FAR/AIM?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
im not sure the specific far/aim but is it not 35 deg on each side up to 10nm out and 10 deg on each side up to 18nm out
dawnhewett1@reddit
That’s the service volume. They’re asking about the critical area on the ground. And it’s when it’s less than 800-2 I believe
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
yes thank you sm
MrPetter@reddit
Less than 800-2 and someone is inbound from the final approach fix.
Adept-Problem-4955@reddit
You're 15nms from KAFW to the north east, you receive radio clearance "cleared direct (insert IAF name) expect rnav 36R" shortly after this call you lose all radio contact, what is your course of action?
Jzerious@reddit
You’ve been cleared for the approach into your destination airport and you’re 25 miles from your IAF. When can you descend and to what altitude?
randombrain@reddit
Jzerious@reddit
Agreed. I got asked that exact question on my checkride. The wording was definitely not close to what I’ve heard in the real world.
I answered as such.
IndependentAlps9649@reddit
Is a VDP required to be adhered to if published?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
no it is advisory
IndependentAlps9649@reddit
Is the type of hold you do required to be based on your path to the fix? Can you do a parallel even if you’re in the teardrop sector?
What’s the 2nd D in GRABCARDD?
Can you fly IFR if your GPS is inop
BluProfessor@reddit
Getting tested on non regulatory acronyms is strange. I was never taught, nor teach GRAB CARDS. I also don't teach nor was taught about fruit on fire, etc. I just know the material.
IndependentAlps9649@reddit
It was after I brought it up and explained it as grab card he asked what the 2nd D was.
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
1.) yes it is based on where you are coming from, but entries d,p,t arent legally required they are recommendations as long as you stay within the protected side you are ok.
2.) dme
3.) yes you still can, but you would need to use ground based navigation like a vor to your destination aerodrome
btw these are some tricky questions
IndependentAlps9649@reddit
All came up on my checkride for ii, also for the holding; I’d still recommend doing the “correct” one on the checkride. I’ve heard of people busting by doing the “wrong” one even though it’s not a legal requirement. Me personally I’m doing parallel or direct every time.
SomeDude2104@reddit
Why no teardrop?
IndependentAlps9649@reddit
I just don’t like it to be honest.
madness2live@reddit
Holy crap - I never thought I'd meet another anti-teardrop pilot!!! Parallel and direct are so easy - teardrop requires mental math...
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
yeah i mean I always do the prefered entries better to do that than argue with the dpe about it
Law-of-Poe@reddit
random brain is outta control
Nama2005@reddit
He’s friggin awesome. He taught me some stuff a week before my checkride and it helped a ton.
Law-of-Poe@reddit
Yeah I kinda made this comment in jest but it seems like bro is going good work for the community here
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Every time someone posts an IFR stump the chump he puts these same questions under them. But I answered them all and did my research on the ones I didn’t know and passed so I’d say they’re pretty good questions
acceleratedpilot@reddit
Your landing, CDW, within the lateral boundries of the New York bravo. You’ve picked up the atis and have information W. Tracon hands you off the final approach controller and tells you to monitor 127.6. What is your radio call?
Misterslate@reddit
When do we have to file an IFR flight plan?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
when flying into imc conditions, class A airpsace, and or special airspaces like a TFR's common in the south fl area
randombrain@reddit
I don't know if there are many/any TFRs that require you to be IFR. There are some, like the POTUS TFRs, that require a filed flight plan—but it can be a VFR flight plan.
Very very technically speaking you only need an IFR flight plan and clearance if you're going to be in IMC in controlled airspace. But there's so little Class G left in the country that the distinction doesn't make a difference for normal operations.
randombrain@reddit
You're departing Capital Region Airport (LAN) on a flight plan to Indianapolis Metro Airport (UMP) via direct FWA, direct HUBLI, direct. Weather is solidly IMC, bases OVC006, tops reported around 5300, negative ice.
In your clearance, you were issued "maintain 3000, expect 8000 one-zero minutes after departure."
Lansing Tower gives you "Proceed direct Fort Wayne, cleared for takeoff." You take off and you turn direct FWA. As you're entering the bases they issue "Contact Great Lakes departure," but when you flip the switch you can't get a response. Going back to Tower, also no response.
What is your game plan? (I'm specifically curious about your altitude, but really the whole scenario is important to think over.)
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
radio com failure in ifr
follow avef for route, in the assigned order given continuing direct to HUBLI and so on to the destination airport at the eta
MEA for altitude ( flying the highest of the assigned altitude given so in this case 8000)
if still vfr land as soon as practical at the nearest most suitable airport along my route with a published iap
randombrain@reddit
Yep, that's the very very common misconception.
The altitude you were assigned was not "8000." The altitude was "3000, expect 8000 ten minutes after."
You specifically do NOT climb to your expected altitude until the time runs out. This lost-comms scenario the one and only reason we give you two different altitudes in the first place.
HUBLI is an IAF for the RNAV 15 approach at UMP. What does that mean for you? How does it inform your actions when you get there?
KintaroGold@reddit
How would you expect that to inform the pilots actions? My thought would be that it is not the clearance limit, that was the airport, so we must do something else here first. (Idk how to mark spoiler so I’m being vague here for allow others to answer the question themselves.)
randombrain@reddit
Spoiler tag is generated by
>!enclosing text!<in angle brackets and exclamation points. >!Like this.!<KintaroGold@reddit
Cool I was thinking the right thing then. >!This is what I teach my students, but I always add the caveat that in a lost coma situation in IFR this is likely an emergency, and we can use our emergency authority to go straight to the IAF and complete the approach to get on the ground asap.!<
Appreciate your response.
vanhawk28@reddit
Lost comms doesn’t say to wait till your time. It says go to the highest of the 3 altitudes. Minimum, expected, assigned. And expected is even first if you are going by order
jhj0604@reddit
You are so horribly confidently wrong
fly123123123@reddit
This is very much incorrect.
randombrain@reddit
AIM 6–4–1c3(b)(3)
Literally the one and only situation where "Maintain X, expect Y one-zero minutes after departure" is relevant is this lost comms scenario. This is it. This is the sole reason that phraseology is issued thousands of times a day.
If you were intended to climb as soon as you lost comms then the phraseology would be "Maintain 3000, expect 8000." But that isn't the phraseology. You're given a time at which you should expect 8000, and you don't start your climb until then.
0ptionalSilence@reddit
Also consider troubleshooting the radios first. Headphones came out, volume, frequencies, double check any other frequencies also. Center, other nearby towers, jackson in this case.
randombrain@reddit
This is a really tricky question that the examiner probably won't ask you, and probably won't ever be a factor in your IFR flying career... until the day that it is.
Compare and contrast:
How do you safely navigate yourself from 0' AGL to the minimum safe IFR altitude?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
would the answer not be to follow the DP if one is published and or use the standard climb gradient of 200 fpnm until you are the safe ifr altitude 1000' above the highest obstacle in non mountainous and 2000' above the highest obstacle in a mountainous area.
randombrain@reddit
That would be the answer at Y70. It has published IAPs and an entry in the TPP, which means someone at the FAA has analyzed the airport for IFR departures. Either follow the published custom departure procedure, or if there isn't one (which there isn't) follow the standard procedure listed in the IPH.
But C43 doesn't have any approaches and it doesn't have an entry in the TPP. That means the FAA has not analyzed it. Maybe the standard procedure will keep you safe or maybe it won't. Who knows? Not the FAA.
An IFR/IMC departure from C43 is not technically illegal but you'd want to be extremely familiar with the surrounding terrain before attempting it. And if anything goes wrong you can assume that you'd be looking at a 91.13 charge.
cazzipropri@reddit
Here are 64 of the hardest questions...
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
Forgot to say. Bought the book for lols and to gift to someone I know in primary training.
They did well and passed their ride. Nicely done.
cazzipropri@reddit
That makes my day more than you can imagine!
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
i was browsing through them is there a resource to find the answers to them?
kmac6821@reddit
Why is crossing the DER at 35’ AGL irrelevant to your departure procedure?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
It’s just like a recommendation I’m assuming the climb gradient is what’s more important 200fpnm or whatever the odp specifies.
kmac6821@reddit
The climb gradient is correct, but where does the obstacle clearance surface begin?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
Ocs starts directly at the departure end of the runway 0’ agl
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
It’s just assumed you cross higher the der at 35’
kmac6821@reddit
It’s not assumed at all. That’s just a truism from 20 years ago when the OCS did start at 35’ above the DER. The IPH and AIM were not updated when TERPS was updated.
In other words, that’s just a false belief that continues to be passed on… which is why I bring it up.
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/instrument_procedures_handbook/FAA-H-8083-16B_Chapter_1.pdf
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
The graphic on page 16 is misleading then
kmac6821@reddit
Yes, it’s wrong.
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
Is that not from the FAA tho?
kmac6821@reddit
Yes, and? The FAA gets several things wrong in its pilot-facing publications. You need to read the actual orders, instructions, and specifications to get a better sense of how things actually are.
For this question, the 8260.46 is key.
Twarrior913@reddit
You’re approaching MLD VOR on V21 North bound at 10,000. Your route of flight then takes V465 Northeast bound. ATC clears you to climb at pilots discretion to 12,000 about 2 miles away from the MLD VOR while on V21. It’s the middle of July and your bugsmasher can do 200FPM at this altitude (approved by ATC of course after notification). You try to start the climb but find you won’t make the MCA. What do you do? You then see the following MEA for V465 is 11,500. What rate of climb do you need to maintain to safely climb from the MCA altitude to the MEA altitude for that segment?
Qbert2030@reddit
Not sure if this works for American IFR but:
When are you required to file a flight plan vs a flight intinerary.
Can one or both be used to cross the border of a state?
What about consecutive flight plans?
Qbert2030@reddit
Idk if ur Canadian or not but:
In the north gps approaches if selected for both alternate and destination must be separated by blank distance if above the blank blank. Or blank distance if you are anywhere else
What are the minimums on the GFA for an alternate to be valid and where can/cannot the CB be to effect you.
makgross@reddit
What’s the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
kmac6821@reddit
On an FAA chart, there are three different sets of dates: top, bottom, and side margin. What do they each indicate?
kmac6821@reddit
On a USG chart, what does the grey mini feather (“the stipple”) indicate on an RNAV IAP? What is the practical significance of that?
kmac6821@reddit
Why does an OROCA not ensure minimum IFR altitude IAW 91.177?
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
You have a WAAS enabled GPS unit installed on your airplane, and want to plan a trip an airport that only has RNAV approaches available. Does your alternate need to have legacy approaches available, or can it also only have RNAV?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
you can do an rnav at both airports
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
What certifications would you need in order to act as a safety pilot for your friend?
Are you able to LOG PIC time when acting as a safety pilot, what about XC time?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
in order to be a safety pilot you need to hold at the minimum a ppl, yes you are resuming pic privledges being the safety pilot so in theory yes you would log pic time, and my assumption would be no for xc time.
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Yeah you’d have to be “sole manipulator of the controls” for the XC part and do the landings
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
What is RAIM, and how many satellites need to be available for it to function?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
augments GPS signal requires a 5th satellite for fault detection and additionally a 6th for fault exclusion.
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
👍
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
You’re flying an approach, and break out of IMC a mile before the FAF, are you able to log this approach for currency?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
no if not using a view limited device and you conduct a visual approach from the start of the FAF to runway that would not count as a ifr approach.
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Where is the alternate static source found on your airplane, and what differences will you see on your instruments if you have to use it?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
inside the interior cabin, typically pressure will be lower in the inside of the cabin so initally when you switch to it your asi will read higher than usual.
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
vsi will show a climb and altimeter will show youre climbing
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
👍
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Are you able to file an airport as an alternate if it doesn’t have an IFR approach?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
yes but only if a safe landing can be made under vfr mins
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
question i got on my stage oral exam
what is the horizontal distance away from the DER and vertical height that an obstacle can be at that does not require an ODP to be published?
didsomebodysaywander@reddit
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
an obstacle can actually puncture the ocs line if its super close within 1nm of the airport and not require an ODP to be created these are called- low close in obstacles there listed in the takeoff notes, and they can only be up to 200' AGL vertically from the DER and 1nm horizontally from the DER
randombrain@reddit
This is a real-world scenario that happened to me during the second week after I was certified to work radar. Details changed, of course.
You have filed a flight plan from Ionia County Airport (Y70) to South Bend via VIO V274 PMM V55 GIJ direct with a filed altitude of 060. Pretend all the airway segments are usable.
The AWOS at Y70 is reporting ceiling OVC015 and visibility 10SM—marginal VFR, to be sure, but still legal VFR.
Your cell carrier has poor coverage near Ionia, so you elect to depart VFR. You take off from Runway 28. Because you are VFR, you maintain 500' below the cloud layer—1000' AGL, 1800' MSL. You call Great Lakes Approach airborne to pick up your IFR clearance.
The Great Lakes Approach controller issues your squawk code and identifies you on radar. They give you the Grand Rapids altimeter setting and confirm that you are at 1800' MSL. Then they say this:
What do you say, and why?
ShakenBakeist@reddit
IFR checkride tomorrow so going to try and answer this.
If I had to takeoff vfr I would remain within the protected area of the airport. Theoretically at that altitude I can be certain there is no obstacle within 1.3nm of airport.
Then I would be able to maintain obstacle clearance as long I could comply with the 200ft per nm climb gradient to at least the msa of 3000.
Is this at least close?
randombrain@reddit
Two things... one, it's polite to spoiler-tag your answer if you're going to jump on OP's stump thread. And two, tomorrow? Go to bed!
ShakenBakeist@reddit
Good point. I should’ve done the spoiler tag
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
What are you personal minima for IFR flight? Why did you choose these minima?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
i would just go off the standard ifr mins
1000' ceiling 3sm visibility + the 45 min additional fuel to alt
thewizbizman@reddit
What are the en route climb gradients?
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
How does an analogue directional gyroscope work? What are some limitations associated with it?
VolubleWanderer@reddit
What are the max holding speeds and associated altitudes for them.
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
200knots up to 6000'
230knots up to 14000'
265knots above 14000'
VolubleWanderer@reddit
Nicely done :) got asked that on my oral and I was like man we flying pipers so I’ll never hit those speeds. I stumbled through it but it was rough.
0ptionalSilence@reddit
What does DER and CCW mean in a descriptive body of text? I didn't know this on my ride, it was never brought up, never thought to look!
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
i know DER is departure end of the runway you should strive to be 35' above the der to fly the standard 200 feet per nm to clear the ocs by 48 feet per nm.
the other one no clue
didsomebodysaywander@reddit
>!I believe its counterclockwise, something like "no PT 180 CCW 120" an approach plate!<
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Explain the difference between LPV and LNAV-VNAV
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
lPV uses waas has a DA, whilst LNAV/VNAV uses baro VNAV
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
They both have DA due to the vertical guidance they provide, what about the difference in sensitivity between the two?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
lnav/vnav sensitivity is linear 0.3 from the FAF to the MAP, and LPV is angular meaning it gets more sensitive the closer you get to the runway/map
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Nice
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
At what distance from your destination will your GPS change from en route to terminal, and from terminal to approach? What are the varying widths of the courses associated with each mode?
wuzcoo@reddit
Specify WAAS or NON WAAS
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Ah true, how about for both
randombrain@reddit
You're going in to GRR. You get the ATIS, which has 05016KT SCT013 BKN035 and says that both the ILS RWY 08R and the ILS RWY 35 are in use.
You're cleared the ILS RWY 08R. Brief the expected immediate/initial response from ATC if something happens and you report going missed, or get sent around, on short final.
Note: The answer does NOT involve the Victory VOR. Explain why.
ShakenBakeist@reddit
I would expect to hold at the alternate fix KNOBS to stay out of the approach path of 35
randombrain@reddit
Very astute thinking.
In actuality you're going to get a heading and an altitude. That's SOP at pretty much every towered airport in the country, at least the ones with any amount of traffic volume, unless there's significant terrain in the area. The published missed approach is almost never designed to work well with our traffic flows, not even if it's straight-out toward the reciprocal IAF.
Expect a heading and altitude at a towered airport; maybe add that to your normal brief, even if you also go over what the published missed would be.
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
that is right
randombrain@reddit
Close! Very close. It's correct that in this scenario the standard published missed is a lot worse than the alternate published missed.
The point is that any published missed approach basically never meshes well with the traffic flows at a towered airport. Unless terrain is a very obvious factor, you should expect to get a heading and altitude at a towered airport. That's SOP at pretty much any ATC facility in the country.
Emergency_Rhubarb_91@reddit
How would you do a VOR check for your airplane?
Spirit_of_No_Face@reddit
How much vertical and horizontal clearance does circling approach provide for your category of aircraft?
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit (OP)
cat A 1.3nm horizontally, vertically would be all the way up to your MDA?
Spirit_of_No_Face@reddit
Vertically is 300ft
Person-man-guy-dude@reddit
Where is clear icing most commonly found? What about rime icing?
If you wind up in a layer of clouds with moderate icing, but know that the air is clear both below and above you, should you climb or descend to escape it?
TangeloSpecialist535@reddit
Just passed my checkride on thursday:
my dpe asked about types of vor checks and how to apply all of them
if your vacuum pump failed, which instruments would be affected and is there anything to indicate vacuum pump failure in your plane?
if your plane does not have a heading indicator can you fly IFR?
if an alternate is required and is projecting ceilings at 1,000 with 3sm of visibility… can you use it?
(This is the only question that stumped me, my dpe explained after that yes, because selecting an alternate that fits minimums is for planning purposes only. Once in the plane your only minimums that apply now are the ones you must meet on the approach plate. Makes sense to me now but I never thought of it, I was only taught 600-2 and 800-2/ nonstandard alternate minimums)
Good luck!! if you studied you’ll pass no problem, the checkride is a million times easier than private
randombrain@reddit
Compare and contrast:
I'm specifically wondering what is the same, and what is different, about your approach to the airport and your selection of landing runway.