Observation flight

N978WC
9/28/09
Dilpreet

This is actually my second time sitting in the back seat with Scott and Dilpreet. I remember it being a screaming hot day. I found that observation flights are the best way to review procedures and really see what is going on in the student’s mind. They also help me better understand where my priorities in the airplane lie. The redundancy of the flight helps me register information and retain it better because I see them twice, once before my flight and again during my flight training.

The first time observing Scott gave me a good feel for how the airplane flies. The second time was even better because he was under the hood. Right after takeoff, he retracted his gear and pitched for the blue line. When time permitted, he performed his climb and cruise checklist items and verified them with the checklist. On the way to Lagoon, he had to load an approach and he came up with the brilliant idea of using Autopilot to reduce the workload. He performed the ILS briefing into Ogden and got vectored onto the final approach course. At that point, Dilpreet got the controls and demonstrated an engine out approach. He then broke away from the course so that Scott can get revectored onto the localizer. Scott was given an engine failure inbound on the approach and he knew immediately what to do. He went through the checklist quick though. He maintained directional control very well and when he intercepted the glide slope, the workload was denser. I saw him holding course guidance but he struggled to keep glideslope because so many things were going on all at once. Overall, he handled the procedures really well and was within limits.

A lot of what I’ve observed was all review for me. I had done the same lesson a few days prior. However, I got to see the same procedures performed again which helped stick better in my memory. There were things Scott did that I will use to my advantage on my next flight--Autopilot--and there were some things he did that I would have done the same if I were him but I will now remember not to do when I’m flying. An example would be to not rush through the checklist. I find that rushing through the checklist after a simulated engine failure calls for more mistakes to happen. The biggest thing I learned on the observation flight was to maintain directional control, relax for a brief moment, and then continue the checklist with cool and confidence. I also saw where my power setting needed to be on descent to DA and what to have done before landing. They were all good review and reminders for my next flight.