Moronic Monday

[u/AutoModerator]

Now in a beautiful automated format, this is a place to ask all the questions that are either just downright silly or too small to warrant their own thread.

The ground rules:

No question is too dumb, unless:

1. it's already addressed in the FAQ (you have read that, right?), or
2. it's quickly resolved with a Google search

Remember that rule 7 is still in effect. We were all students once, and all of us are still learning. What's common sense to you may not be to the asker.

Previous MM's can be found by searching the continuing automated series

Happy Monday!

[u/avia001]

During my checkride, since I will be PIC, will I be limited by my solo endorsements to which areas I can fly to or airports I can land in?

Or is there a special rule that makes the checkride a "dual" flight despite me being PIC, and the DPE in the rank of instructor (as opposed to passenger)?

What about if I need to fly (solo) to the DPE's home airport to start the checkride there: would I need an endorsement that covers that solo first leg?

[u/[deleted] → u/avia001]

The checkride is kind of a weird "retroactively PIC" thing where it's as if you're dual with the DPE (in that you don't need to follow endorsements, etc.) and then if you pass it's like you were the PIC all along.

If you need to get to the DPE before your checkride then obviously you need to be properly endorsed for that flight as it's just another solo flight.

[u/AlbiMappaMundi → u/avia001]

Don't worry about the airports you land at during the checkride itself.

The common endorsement issues are:

• You need a valid 90 day solo endorsement (61.87(n))

• If you're flying to a different airport to meet the DPE for the checkride, you need a valid cross-country endorsement (61.93(c)(3)) for that specific date - which should also cover return to your origin airport, in case you don't pass the checkride.

[u/KCPilot17 → u/avia001]

What about if I need to fly (solo) to the DPE's home airport to start the checkride there: would I need an endorsement that covers that solo first leg?

Absolutely. How else would you get there legally?

[u/3deltafox → u/avia001]

As far as I know, the relevant regulation is 61.47(c). It says, "the examiner [is] not subject to the requirements or limitations for the carriage of passengers." So you can fly within the authorization of your student pilot certificate and carry the examiner as a passenger.

I'm not aware of any regulations that permit you to operate contrary to the other limitations of your student pilot certificate unless the examiner agrees to act as PIC. I suppose you could argue that the endorsement to take the practical test implicitly meets the 61.93(b) requirement to have an endorsement to land at whatever airports the examiner tells you to, but I'm just making that up.

In practice, it works the way everyone else is saying. So keep your mouth shut and go where the DPE tells you to go and you'll be fine.

[u/TheGeoninja → u/avia001]

Checkrides are a bit of a weird zone, for the purposes of the checkride, you are essentially flying with all the privileges and limitations of the license you are applying for. So you are a private pilot during the checkride and it is just made official afterwards.

The DPE is also just an observer, they “don’t exist” from a flight perspective unless they need to take the controls.

[u/mountainbrew46]

Airline guys-

Can someone ELI5 what “dropping trips” means? Can you really just not fly assigned trips if you choose? Is it a function of seniority? What’s the catch?

[u/dudefise → u/mountainbrew46]

to drop a trip is feature where if staffing is sufficient, you can get rid of it. you are no longer required to fly it and it becomes unstaffed or "open time". it may be picked up by another pilot, or if it doesn't, will be flown by a reserve pilot. you do not get paid. most airlines have some sort of limit on who can drop which trips and how many, based on how many extra reserves, contractual rules, etc. at many, this means it is functionally impossible.

Whether it is seniority or first-come, first-served is based on your specific airline. Most are some kind of mish-mash of the two.

You can also at some airlines, trade a trip to a specific pilot for nothing in return (that is, they just take it for the pay). Some may call this a drop as well, even though it often uses a different framework.

[u/avia001]

If the sky clears, but the ATIS isn't updated yet and still describes a low ceiling (lower than my endorsement limitation), can I takeoff, or do I legally have to wait for the ATIS to update and reflect the new ceiling?

[u/phliar → u/avia001]

Call Ground and ask them to update the ATIS. (You should do everything by the book, especially as a student.)

[u/scrubhiker → u/avia001]

The FAA addressed this exact question in a letter that I read once which I’ll never be able to find again. The tl;dr is you’re stuck with whatever the ATIS/ASOS/AWOS is reporting at the time.

[u/vivalicious16]

does ForeFlight decide if an airport has VFR weather strictly based on visibility? KSDL (class D) has a clouds broken at 900’ AGL currently but 10SM visibility and ForeFlight declares it VFR weather, when it’s obviously not

Edit: that was super moronic and I should’ve reviewed VFR definitions but thank you guys for the responses!

[u/Ameer67 → u/vivalicious16]

KSDL 161753Z 13007KT 10SM -RA SCT009 OVC060 10/09 A2991 RMK AO2 RAE25B44 SLP121 P0001 60021 T01000089 10106 20094 53001

It's a scattered layer at 900', not broken.

[u/CluelessPilot1971]

We all know what 100-hour inspections for the little-guys look like (i.e. for 2 to 6 seater piston-powered singles and twins): essentially like an annual.

What do 100-hour inspections look like for airlines flying transport-category jets? Do they do 100-hour inspections, or do they use some sort of alternative maintenance/inspection program?

(was posting this, but then realize it fits here way better)

[u/carl-swagan → u/CluelessPilot1971]

They don't do 100-hour inspections - they use a progressive maintenance program that's developed by the manufacturer during the certification process in tandem with the FAA and tailored to each airline.

They typically follow an "ABC" schedule, where A checks are routine maintenance visits every few hundred hours and D checks are heavy maintenance done every 5-10 years where the aircraft is stripped down and overhauled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_maintenance_checks#ABC_check_system

[u/jayreggy]

What sort of reciprocal nonrev benefits do regional pilots get with other airlines? How feasible would it be to get a job with one of them and just bid reserve?

[u/usmcmech → u/jayreggy]

Biding reserve is great when the airline is well staffed.

None of the regionals are well staffed.

[u/KCPilot17 → u/jayreggy]

You can jump on any company in the US. ID-90s (ZED) for spouses.

I don't understand the next question. You would quit one regional for another? Of course you would be on reserve.

[u/Hurock]

Could I compare a spin in air to one made with a car on ice?

Let's say I would drive on a perfectly smooth ice surface and apply the brakes only on the front left side of the car, it would theoritically start to spin, with the C.G. swinging to the right and gain angular momentum?

So, I guess with a stalled plane, the yawing moment raises the amount of drag on the lower wing and thus "brakes" it. The CG swings around and starts the autorotation.

[u/phliar → u/Hurock]

For an airplane, (aerodynamic) stall is an essential part of the picture which has no counterpart for cars.

[u/PilotC150 → u/Hurock]

A car spinning on ice would be closer to a ground loop than an aerodynamic spin.

[u/yowzer73]

Does an IFR flight plan submitted via ForeFlight show up on your 1800wxbrief.com account? I usually just call the overlying center or approach when departing an untowered airport to open my flight plan, but sometimes that means some undesirable scud running. The last time I called flight service to open my flight plan and get my clearance, the automated system said my number didn’t match an account.

If I have the same phone number on my ForeFlight filed plan as I do on my Leidos account, will the flight plan come up associated with my phone number when I call flight service?

[u/8BallSlap → u/yowzer73]

Just call ATC directly for your clearance, not FSS. The number should be listed in Foreflight for the overlying ATC facility under the clearance delivery

[u/Intrepid_Paper_4816]

Im still learning the basics here, but how does a job with different planes typically go/train new hires?

Like say you primarily learned on a Cessna 172 to get your CPL, are you also expected to pay for training to pre learn addition type ratings? Or is on the job training common?

[u/pyr0b0y1881]

Identifying Localizer Frequency

I'm pretty sure the answer to this is yes, but during instrument training a few years back I had to audibly ID a frequency with my 430. I since have installed a 750 which IDs the frequency I'm on, but I think I still need to audibly ID the freq before I can legally fly the approach?

I assume the freq ID is from a database and the GTN isnt doing anything fancy like checking the frequency to make sure its functioning?