Day 29 – Helicopter Training Flight #29 – Mock Stage Check Part 1

This is the twenty ninth training flight in a series following a student through his flight training from day 1 to checkride in an R22.

A ‘stage check’ is the last step before a checkride (assuming it goes well) and is usually performed by an senior instructor, other than the student’s usual instructor. So the purpose of a ‘mock’ stage check is for the student experience their usual instructor in more in a testing than teaching mode to help prepare for the eventual stage check and identify any weaknesses.

Stage checks and check rides will require some cross country preflight planning. The student has been assigned a short cross country to Prineville for a simulated scenario to drop some fire contract paper work off to another pilot flying a fire contract.

Some highlights of this lesson:

• Diversion
• Simulated engine faulire
• Simulated alternator failure
• Simulated Clutch failure
• Off airport landing
• Max performance takeoff
• Vortex ring state/settling with power
• Max glide autorotation
• Governor off hover work and approach
• Low RPM
• Distractions

NOTES/TIPS:

00:40 check volumes using squelch button before first radio call
03:35 during check ride exaggerate head movements when looking to clear, to ensure examiner knows you are clearing
06:30 speak to examiner prior to flight to determine if they will pull carb heat for you (assume they will not)
09:40 ALT caution light emergency procedure (simulated using circuit breaker)
10:35 simulated GPS failure (causing ALT caution light)
13:00 how to use bodies of water to determine wind direction
13:25 simulated engine failure – verbalize a target landing area and turn towards it
13:55 best climb speed 53 knots
15:00 scenario based training – creating a reason for the diversion to Sisters (a diversion is required for the checkride)
15:15 can you use cell phone in flight? No, according to FCC Title 47 Part 22.925
16:50 asking passenger to help with map is good crew resource management (CRM) but the examiner might not help as he is assessing you as a single solo pilot
17:00 the examiner will ask questions and create other distractions to test your ability to be PIC – pilot in command
18:45 more distractions…
19:45 the diversion requires us to transition (or fly over the top) through class D airspace of Redmond
26:00 don’t call 7 mile ‘final’ – you are not in the traffic pattern area yet
28:00 ‘departing’ vs ‘heading’
30.10 clutch light emergency procedure
31:00 definition of “Land as soon as possible” versus “Land as soon as practical”
31:30 off airport landing
39:10 observe downwash pattern in foliage to determine wind direction
39:30 Max performance takeoff
40:30 also use trim strings to help determine wind direction
41:30 settling with power or vortex ring state
46:15 Max glide configuration autorotation
47:10 simulated engine failure
48:20 simulated governor malfunction
49:15 simulated low RPM
53:40 approach and set down with governor off
55:00 pickup and hover work with governor off
56:20 simulated low RPM in hover
58:30 trying to pick up with RPM at idle, despite saying “top of the green”
59:00 air taxi and quick stop
1:02:50 180 degree autorotation to taxiway alpha
1:06:00 hover autorotation
1:08:50 line up and wait on the runway
1:12:00 straight in autorotation

To view all the videos in this series, check out this YouTube playlist of all the Flight Training Sessions (Full-Length Unedited)