The last week or so it has been raining, so I was pleased to see that today was clear. Since I’m nearing the end of my training we spent some time focusing on preparing for the FAA check ride. The check ride is the practical exam for the FAA to review the skills of a new pilot. Basically it is like the aviation version of going to the DMV. All pilots have to complete it, and some pilots have to complete several (depending on their license).
After discussing what would be tested, we pre-flight checked the Cessna 172 (N434EP) and took off of runway 20C. During the first attempt to take off, the engine was making a funny noise, so we aborted the take off. When we taxied off the runway, we noticed that I had the engine running on only one magneto. The aircraft would have taken off, but would not be running efficiently. When I completed the run-up check, I must have not switched it back to both. Not very dangerous, but a good lesson in attention to detail.
Next, we took off towards the north and practiced stalls (2nd stall link), ground maneuvers, slow flight, and simulated engine failures. Finally, we flew to Sumner County Regional Airport and practiced short field landings.
It was great to practice, and I was glad to see that I could still complete these maneuvers. With some of these, it was my first time executing them in the C172.
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