Have you and your instructor reviewed personal
limitations regarding checkride weather?
Your 90-day solo endorsement
will likely need to up updated for your checkride.
There are no regulations specifying
any requirements for weather conditions on
a checkride. This is because the applicant
is considered to be the pilot-in-command and
is responsible for making a "go/no-go"
decision for the practical (flight) portion
of the checkride. Making the wrong decision
could lead to a failure of the checkride or
even worse, an accident.
This page will help you make the right choice!
Two sets of weather minimums must be considered
before choosing to "go" and fly:
Long
Island Flying Checkride Limitations
- The absolute limits set by Long
Island Flying to ensure safety:
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- Winds
- 20kts maximum
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- Cross-wind
- 10kts maximum (possibly lower if conditions
are forecast to be gusty)
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- Visibility
- 10sm minimum
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- Cloud
ceiling at KISP and the surrounding
area airports (broken through overcast)
- 2500 feet minimum
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(any
layer of clouds lower than this can
be very troublesome - Even Scattered
or Few)
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(as you
know, weather changes... forecasts should
allow a "buffer" before and
after the flight)
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Personal Weather Minimums - The
minimums that the applicant is comfortable
with for flight.
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It is
important to remember that if your personal
minimums exceed the LIF minimums, the
LIF minimums always take precedence.
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Example:
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John
Doe Pilot's Personal Minimums
Winds - 15kts maximum
Cloud ceiling at KISP (broken through
overcast) - 3000 feet minimum
Visibility - 10sm minimum
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It is important
that the applicant establish their personal
minimums through discussion with their
instructor prior to their checkride.
After considering
both sets of minimums, the applicant
should be able to make a confident go/no-go
decision.
Remember, you do not ever have to fly,
if the weather is not right for you!
(the examiner will always
respect your decision)
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If the
weather is good for flying at KISP,
but not at the airport you have planned
for your checkride cross country, that
does NOT mean that you cannot complete
the flight portion of your checkride.
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The
cross-country is simulated - you will
not go all the way to your destination.
You can tell the examiner that you would
"no-go" the cross country,
but a local flight for checkride purposes
would be a "go".
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What
if your Personal Minimums or the LIF
minimums (whichever is applicable) are
not suitable for a local flight?
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It is
very common for checkrides to be scheduled
several weeks to a month in advance.
Obviously, this makes it hard to forecast
the weather so far in advance. Sometimes
when the big day finally arrives, the
weather is just not good for flying
at all.
The examiner will give the student two
options:
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Complete
the oral portion and reschedule the
flight, or reschedule the entire checkride.
We at Long Island Flying STRONGLY suggest
taking the first option - get the oral
out of the way, and then you will have
less to worry about on the day of your
practical (flight) test.
This option also gives you the best
chance of getting back on the examiner's
schedule quickly, as the state of the
checkride is considered in "discontinuance"
(basically paused), and the examiner
will want to finish it as quickly as
possible.
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